Building My FALCO – A Lightweight Setup

Author: Eric Collard

Intro

Following Pierre’s advice, I went for a Falco that I plan to use mainly for mountain flying and backpacking trips.

Since I never intended to motorize it, my goal was to keep the setup as versatile and lightweight as possible. That’s why, again on Pierre’s recommendation, I decided to install the tail servos further forward in the fuselage. This reduces the amount of ballast required and keeps the final weight down.

The end result is a Falco STRONG version, weighing in at 809g with a 2S 600mAh pack.

I’m sharing this build log for two reasons:

1. To show an alternative setup compared to Pierre’s.
2. To highlight the steps where I hesitated, in case it helps someone else down the road.

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First IDS Installation

This was actually my first IDS (Integrated Drive System) build, so I admit there were moments of hesitation.

If you’re considering it, I highly recommend the IDS servorahmen kits. I went with the version for KST HS08. For the Falco, you’ll need to select the Micro option, which gives you the right arm lengths. You’ll also be using the smallest arms in the micro kit.

I started by cutting the horn slots in the flap and aileron covers, aligned with the openings already made in the wing spar. Because I kept the openings rather small, the horns had to be glued in place with their arms already mounted—there wasn’t enough room afterward to insert the stainless pin. Everything was glued with silica-thickened epoxy, making sure the arms were perfectly perpendicular to the hinge lines.

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Servo Frames

Next came the servo frames. The servos were wrapped in cling film, fitted with the horns (for flaps and ailerons, I used the second-smallest horn in the kit), and aligned with a temporary pin (1mm piano wire, slightly thinner than the final pin, which makes assembly/disassembly easier during adjustments). These too were glued with thickened epoxy, ensuring everything was centered and aligned.

Once cured, I milled away the excess epoxy and trimmed the frame reinforcement under the control horn side to allow for greater travel.

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Fuselage Installation

For the fuselage servos, I followed Pierre’s suggestion and moved them into the cockpit. This required making a new fiberglass mounting plate, since the bay was slightly too narrow. I did, however, reuse the fiberglass rails, which make it very convenient to slide the plate out and access the cockpit floor.

The pushrods had to be rebuilt a little longer, and I extended the guide tubes with two small carbon tubes glued to the fuselage sides.

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Receiver and Ballast

The receiver sits in the nose, glued to a small fiberglass plate, with space in front reserved for nose ballast.
For the ballast, I made a quick mold in damp sand by pressing in the fuselage (wrapped in cling film), removing it carefully, and then pouring in 100g of molten lead. In the end, I kept about 75g to achieve the correct CG, with the battery sitting on top of the receiver.

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Final Thoughts

And that’s it—the little beast finished, sitting next to Pierre’s ASW17… definitely not the same scale 🙂

F3G and F3B in Kulmbach / Germany, a tradition continues!

From May 10th to May 12th, 2024, the Kulmbach model aircraft association organized a combined competition on its own model aircraft site near Melkendorf. The club looks back on a competitive tradition and has written 38 years of F3B history on the green meadows of Upper Franconia. For the 2024 season, the club organized the 13th Plassenburg Cup and is making a big statement by offering a combination of the two FAI classes F3G and F3B. Around 30 participants per class traveled with great enthusiasm and lived their passion for flying together in the best weather conditions.

The preparations to be made are always large and extensive. That's why the idea came about to fly a speed cup on May 10th with a separate rating. This meant that some pilots were able to adjust to the terrain and the route between the A and B turns and the organizer was able to test the measuring system. To the organizer's surprise, more pilots registered for the Speed Cup than expected. Here too, the pilots were mixed and the F3G and F3B pilots always started alternately. Everything went smoothly and you could feel the joy of the pilots because the new 2024 season was finally getting started.

Four rounds were flown, all of which were counted. Based on the results, one could speak of an Austrian championship, ...haha! In the F3G class, Wolfgang Hirth (AUT) came out ahead of Helmut Gronau (AUT) and Günther Aichholzer (AUT). In the F3B class, Bernhard Flixeder (AUT) won, ahead of Hans Rossmann (AUT) and Gerhard Flixeder (AUT).

The best German was Thomas Gruber in 5th place (average time 14.58s), followed by Hans-Peter Haase in 6th place (average time 14.65s) and Tim Bischoff in 7th place. Tim flew with his new Quantum 2 DP and achieved an average time of 14.76s. Robert Karow made it to 20th place. It was his first F3G competition with his Quantum 2 DP. His time averaged 16.17s.

Congratulations again to all pilots for the impressive and consistent performance. The start was a real celebration of fast times.

The F3G and F3B World Cup followed from May 11th to May 12th with its familiar tasks of time flight, cross-country flight and speed flight. People also like to talk about Formula 1 in model gliding!

The Kulmbach Model Aviation Association has implemented some good ideas so that the tight schedule does not have to be interrupted too often. This means that 14 landing points were used in the time flight. 7 landing points for F3B and 7 landing points for F3G. The run was perfect. As soon as a group from class F3B had completed their task, a group from class F3G followed. The pilots were able to help each other and were checked by official referees.

Switching between classes has not proven successful in cross-country flights. All F3B pilots first flew here and then all F3G pilots. This meant that the pilots of the resting class were able to assist as helpers during the A or B turn. Full attention must be given in all tasks, whether as a pilot, helper or marshal. The mutual support ensured a lot of joy and respect among all the helping hands. The experienced pilots, who know the terrain in Kulmbach, have already rubbed their hands in advance! After the first round we knew why! Despite the very good weather conditions, the area has one or two surprises in store. In one round there were 15 routes for 1000 points and in the next round there were 30 routes for 1000 points. At no point was there a guarantee of a successful passage.

The procedure for the speed flight followed that of the cross-country flight. One class flies and the helping hands of the resting class were again welcome guests at the turning points.

Here too you could see the weather conditions based on the starting altitudes. The F3B class was between 230m and 300m and the F3G class was between 300m and 370m.

The starting heights of class F3G are repeatedly criticized and classified as significantly too high. We should all not forget that this is an emerging FAI class. The development steps will come, but little by little. The F3G and F3B classes fly almost the same tasks. However, we must not forget that F3G is a separate class and still has some development steps ahead of it. We have to give it time and believe me, F3G pilots all over the world are enjoying the benefits and the different flying experience!

We took a very special path with the competition in Kulmbach and I would like to thank the Kulmbach model flight association on behalf of all F3G and F3B pilots. This combined season opening is something very special and has potential for the successful continuation of our competitive sport.

We are looking forward to the next stop in Colmar (FRA). The next World Cup and Eurotour competition in class F3G will take place here at the beginning of June. Further information can be found at www.f3g.info

The F3B pilots are already on their way to Örebro (SWE) before stopping off in Nardt (GER) in June 2024. www.f3b.de

Until then, we wish all pilots good flights and great experiences.

We congratulate the first place winners in class F3G

1. Petr Fusek (CZ)
2. Hans Rossmann (AUT)
3. Wolfgang Hirth (AUT)

The best German was Sebastian Haase in 7th place, followed by Thomas Gruber in 8th place and Stefan Eder in 12th place

We congratulate the first place winners in class F3B

1. Steffen Besemer (GER)
2. Bernhard Flixeder (AUT)
3. Jens Buchert (GER)

You can find further results at www.mg-airsports.eu

Jehnedi (CZ) F3G Eurotour final contest report

Text and photos: Sebastian Haase

(German version below)

In my last and first report on the new, young and upcoming FAI class F3G, Pierre and his platform Planet-Soaring gave me the opportunity to write a little more about this class. The first report from July 2023 describes the individual tasks of the FAI class F3G and draws a comparison to the well-known FAI class F3B. If you are interested in the basis, then feel free to have a look at "F3G? What is it?"

I don't even want to say it, but the 2023 season is already over! Of course, this only refers to the competitions in the World Cup and Eurotour, the test flights and training continues. For various reasons we have only been able to organise 3 competitions for 2023. Some clubs are highly motivated and can cope with the increased helpers. Others are trying with small teams and with a different schedule for the individual disciplines (duration, distance, speed). All three competitions, Colmar (FRA), Anthisnes (BEL) and Jehnedi (CZ) were a success. The good mood of the pilots, the high performance level as well as the strong and concentrated performance of the helpers make every competition a very special event. It is the helpers in the foreground and in the background who make it possible to hold international competitions at all. Many thanks to you, every little support deserves a big applause. I would like to take this opportunity to say "THANK YOU"! Thank you on behalf of all pilots, thank you on behalf of the federation, thank you for the annual energy and love for our sport, as well as the hospitality shown to us.

The competition in Jehnedi (CZ) is part of the Czech National Championship and is also rated as a Eurotour competition. There were 21 registered pilots from the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria and Germany.

Thanks to the organisation of Roman Vojtech and his team, we can hold this competition. A young team of helpers at the A-base and B-base ensures that everything runs smoothly. One or the other re-flight had to be carried out due to poor visibility / sunlight. The reason for a re-flight is sometimes the confusion of the models or the loss of eye contact during the take-off phase. We are all only human and we can be satisfied when young interested pilots agree to take on this demanding task.

 

We flew at the previously mentioned different rhythm. On Saturday, we alternated between the speed and distance flights. We had planned 4 complete rounds, but one or two re-flights caused a delay. At the end of the day, with 21 pilots, there were 3 rounds in Speed and Distance. The number of groups was limited to 3 pilots. The flight area is very long (about 1000 m), but very narrow (about 50 m). The rhythm on Saturday suited everyone. There was less ballasting up and down, which in turn meant no loss of time in the procedure. The flying conditions were better than the forecast. The entire day was characterised by blue skies, partly cloudy and around 26 degrees outside temperature. The changing wind conditions were difficult to estimate and the turbulence caused one or two surprises. One can always say, which model is used is not so decisive! It is much more important that the pilot is "ONE" with his model and his settings. Every pilot tries to get the best out of it and through comparison there is always potential for improvement. The models used range from Crossfire 1, Freestyler 3, Avatar, Scout, Orden, Device, Pike Precission 2, Freestyler 5 and 6 to the Quantum 2 DP. A great range that reflects the high performance density of the models.

On Sunday, the time flights followed. Completely different conditions and, of course, everything was gone one after the other. The team pilots and helpers are always and constantly challenged. There is little time for breaks. We flew with a group of 5 and the rest in groups of 4. Due to the new weather situation after the nightly thunderstorm, with low clouds and little wind, the flight tactics had to be reassessed again and again. The starting altitudes were between 160m and 250m. The entire terrain was flown over. With flights far into the rear area, respectively far into the front area, as well as in the immediate vicinity of the airfield. At the end of the third round, the competition management also decided on the conclusion of the competition. The cloud base was no longer sufficient for the planned final speed. The last pilots of the third round had to avoid the clouds already at 200m, as the models disappeared into the clouds for several seconds. After the award ceremony the conditions got worse and the journey home started with rain. We did everything right!

What could the "G" stand for in F3G or what is its characteristic outside of the FAI marking. In my experience over the last few months, you can always tell that the F3G community is "G = great", "G = profitable" in terms of the experience you gain, "G = collaborative" in terms of cross-team support, "G = straightforward" in terms of how it should go for the next few years, "G = good" in terms of our great sport. F3G is good for new young pilots and for experienced pilots from the various other performance classes.

To our delight we were able to motivate a new pilot to fly with us. Robert Karow from Germany from the Ampere Flyer Team started his first competition in Jehnedi and finished in 11th place. Congratulations!

I wish all readers a still beautiful, damage-free season 2023. Take advantage of the stable weather and collect ideas for the coming season 2024. It will be exciting, it will be more, it will be good ........ in this sense, see you next time at Planet-Soaring.

German version:

in meinem letzten und ersten Bericht zu der neuen, jungen und aufstrebenden FAI Klasse F3G, hat mir Pierre mit seiner Plattform Planet-Soaring die Möglichkeit eingeräumt, etwas mehr über diese Klasse schreiben zu können. Der erste Bericht vom Juli 2023 beschreibt die einzelnen Aufgaben der FAI Klasse F3G und zieht einen Vergleich zur bekannten FAI Klasse F3B. Falls Euch die Basis interessiert, dann schaut gerne rein, unter „F3G? What is it?“

Ich möchte es gar nicht aussprechen, aber die Saison 2023 ist schon vorbei! Natürlich nur auf die Wettbewerbe im World Cup und Eurotour bezogen, die Testflüge und das Training läuft weiter. Aus verschiedenen Gründen haben wir für 2023 nur 3 Wettbewerbe organisieren können. Einige Vereine haben eine hohe Motivation und können den erhöhten Helferaufwand stemmen. Andere versuchen es mit kleinen Teams und mit einem veränderten Ablauf der einzelnen Disziplinen (Duration, Distance, Speed). Alle drei Wettbewerbe, Colmar (FRA), Anthisnes (BEL) und Jehnedi (CZ) waren ein Erfolg. Die gute Laune der Piloten, das hohe Leistungsniveau sowie die starke und konzentrierte Leistung der Helfer machen jeden Wettbewerb zu einem ganz besonderen Ereignis. Gerade die Helfer im Vordergrund und im Hintergrund ermöglichen überhaupt eine Durchführung der internationalen Wettbewerbe. Vielen Dank an Euch, jede noch so kleine Unterstützung hat einen großen Applaus verdient. Ich sage auf diesem Weg „DANKE“! Danke im Namen aller Piloten, Danke im Namen des Verbandes, Danke für die jährliche Energie und Liebe zu unserem Sport, sowie die uns entgegengebrachte Gastfreundschaft.

Der Wettbewerb in Jehnedi (CZ) ist ein Teil der tschechischen Staatsmeisterschaft und wird zusätzlich als Eurotour Wettbewerb gewertet. Es waren 21 gemeldete Piloten, aus Tschechien, Polen, Österreich und Deutschland.

Dank der Organisation von Roman Vojtech und seinem Team können wir diesen Wettbewerb durchführen. Ein junges Helferteam an der A-Base und B-Base sorgt für einen reibungslosen Ablauf. Der ein oder andere Re-Flight musste aufgrund der schlechten Sichtbarkeit / Sonneneinstrahlung durchgeführt werden. Hintergrund für einen Re-Flight ist teilweise die Verwechselung der Modelle oder der Verlust des Blickkontaktes in der Startphase. Wir sind alle nur Menschen und wir können zufrieden sein, wenn sich junge interessierte Piloten bereit erklären, diese anspruchsvolle Aufgabe zu übernehmen. 

Es wurde der zuvor angesprochene andere Rhythmus geflogen. Am Samstag haben wir zw. den Speed und Distance Flügen gewechselt. Geplant waren 4 komplette Runden, jedoch sorgte doch der ein oder andere Re-Flight für eine zeitliche Verzögerung. Am Ende des Tages sind es bei 21 Piloten, 3 Runden in Speed und Distance geworden. Die Anzahl der Gruppen beschränkt sich auf 3 Piloten. Die Flugfläche ist sehr lang gezogen (rund 1000 m), jedoch sehr schmal (rund 50 m). Der Rhythmus am Samstag kam allen entgegen. Es musste weniger auf – und ab ballastiert werden, was wiederum keinen Zeitverlust im Ablauf bedeutete. Die Flugbedingungen waren besser als die Vorhersage. Der komplette Tag war geprägt von blauem Himmel, teilweise Wolken und rund 26 Grad Außentemperatur. Die wechselnden Windbedingungen waren schwierig abzuschätzen und die Turbolenzen sorgten für die ein- oder andere Überraschung. Man kann immer wieder sagen, welches Modell eingesetzt wird, ist gar nicht so entscheidend! Viel wichtiger ist, dass der Pilot mit seinem Modell und seinen Einstellungen „EINS“ ist. Jeder Pilot versucht das Optimum heraus zu holen und durch den Vergleich gibt es immer wieder Potenzial für Verbesserungen. Die eingesetzten Modelle reichen von Crossfire 1, Freestyler 3, Avatar, Scout, Orden, Device, Pike Precission 2, Freestyler 5 und 6 bis hin zum Quantum 2 DP. Eine tolle Bandbreite die die hohe Leistungsdichte der Modelle wiederspiegelt.

Am Sonntag folgten dann die Zeitflüge. Ganz andere Bedingungen und natürlich wieder alles nach einander weg. Die teaminternen Piloten und zugleich Helfer sind stets und ständig gefordert. Es bleibt wenig Zeit für Pausen. Es wurde mit einer 5ér Gruppe geflogen und der Rest in 4ér Gruppen. Aufgrund der neuen Wetterlage, nach dem nächtlichen Gewitter, mit tiefhängenden Wolken und wenig Wind, musste die Flugtaktik immer wieder neu beurteilt werden. Die Ausgangshöhen lagen zwischen 160m – 250m. Das komplette Gelände wurde abgeflogen. Mit Flügen weit in den Rückraum, beziehungsweise weit in den Vorraum, sowie in unmittelbarer Platz Nähe. Am Ende der dritten Runde wurde auch der Abschluss des Wettbewerbs durch die Wettbewerbsleitung festgelegt. Für den geplanten Final Speed reichte die Wolkenbasis nicht mehr aus. Die letzten Piloten der dritten Runde mussten bereits bei 200m den Wolken ausweichen, da die Modelle für mehrere Sekunden in den Wolken verschwanden. Nach der Siegerehrung wurden die Bedingungen schlechter und die Heimreise begann mit Regen. Wir haben alles richtig gemacht!

Wofür könnte das „G“ bei F3G stehen oder was hat es außerhalb der FAI Kennzeichnung für eine Charakteristik. Nach meinen Erfahrungen aus den letzten Monaten kann man immer wieder feststellen, dass die F3G Gemeinde „G = großartig“ ist, „G = gewinnbringend“ in Bezug auf die Erfahrungen die man sammelt, „G = gemeinschaftlich“ in Bezug auf die Teamübergreifende Unterstützung, „G = geradlinig“ in Bezug auf die Vorstellung, wie es die nächsten Jahre laufen sollte, „G = gut“ in Bezug auf unseren tollen Sport. F3G ist gut für neue junge Piloten und für erfahrene Piloten aus den verschiedenen anderen Leistungsklassen.

Zur unserer Freude konnten wir einen neuen Piloten motivieren mit zu fliegen. Robert Karow aus Deutschland vom Ampere Flyer Team startete seinen Auftakt in Jehnedi und konnte diesen Wettbewerb als 11. beenden. Herzlichen Glückwunsch!

Ich wünsche allen Leserinnen und Lesern eine noch schöne, schadensfreie Saison 2023. Nutzt das stabile Wetter und sammelt Ideen für die kommende Saison 2024. Es wird spannend, es wird mehr, es wird gut …….. in diesem Sinne bis zum nächsten Mal bei Planet-Soaring.