Written by Tony Stillman
Small in size, big on details
As seen in the Winter 2019 issue of Park Pilot
When opening the box, pull out the foam section to find the instruction manual that is taped to the back. The instruction manual is short, but it does include a nice history of the Beechcraft Staggerwing. As per the manual, I installed the included four AA batteries in the transmitter and followed the instructions to charge the battery. First, take out the charge cord from the transmitter by opening the door on the lower left of it. Pull out the charge cord and close the door. There is a notch on the door to allow it to be closed and not pinch the charge cord. Leaving the transmitter off, plug in the battery, being careful to align the red dot on the charge cord with the red dot on the battery. The yellow LED indicator on the transmitter will glow when the battery is being charged. When the pack is fully charged, the LED will turn off. Now it’s time to install the battery. The Staggerwing features a neat battery hatch that is the upper section of the engine cowling. It is held in place with two tiny magnets, so carefully lift the upper section and it will pop off to reveal the battery area.
The battery is held in place with two magnets that are built into the model and two that are installed on the battery pack. The CG (center of gravity) has been prechecked, but if you have to repair or modify the aircraft, make sure to recheck the CG before flight. The manual does not show the CG location, but I measured mine at the leading edge of the top wing with the battery installed. The instructions don’t tell you, but always turn on the transmitter then the receiver in the airplane. This will ensure that you have a signal to the receiver and prevents spurious radio frequency noise engaging the propeller and possibly causing injury. Turn on the transmitter and ensure that the throttle stick is at idle then plug the battery into the airplane and slip the battery onto the mount area, making certain that the two magnets engage with the matching magnets and snap into place. Because this model has retractable landing gear, pick it up off of the table when you plug in the battery because the landing gear might move depending on the position of the landing gear switch on the transmitter. The ailerons will first move back and forth, indicating that the receiver is linked and working properly. If the gear is still up, flip the landing gear switch on the top left of the transmitter. The gear will extend and the bottom wing flaps will lower. Now reinstall the cowling cover. It is always good practice to verify that everything is working before launch. Check the direction of the ailerons, elevator, and rudder. Before flying, look over the airplane and, using the trim buttons around the sticks, adjust the trims so that everything looks to be in neutral position. If all is working well, you can hand launch the aircraft or perform a rise-off-ground takeoff.
The model flies well but is not overpowered. This is not a 3D airplane! It flies in a scalelike fashion at approximately 75% power. I enjoyed flying it around and even did a couple of loops! The controls are sluggish but flyable. The Staggerwing looks so cool in the air! I love this airplane! I can fly it for 3 to 5 minutes on a charge, but that can vary with your power settings. Landing is easy, but remember that the extra drag caused by extending the landing gear and flaps will require you to carry some power all the way down to landing. I recommend that you play around in flight with the gear down to get used to handling the aircraft in the “dirty” landing mode. When you are finished flying for the day, retract the landing gear using the switch on the transmitter while securely holding the model. This will automatically retract the gear so that the aircraft slips back into the box. After the gear retracts, remove the battery, turn off the transmitter, and place the airplane back in the box. The instructions include additional information for how to reverse the servos and bind, should the need arise. If you purchased this from your favorite hobby shop, it can also supply repair parts. A convenient listing of parts is in the back of the instruction manual. If you don’t have a local retailer, parts can be ordered from Rage R/C through its website or by calling (800) 622-7223.
Specifications:
Wingspan: 20-3/16 inches Length: 17-1/16 inches Weight with battery: 2.4 ounces Power system Four-in-one receiver (two servos/ESC); 1S 200 mAh LiPo battery Transmitter: Five-channel 2.4 GHz with integrated LiPo charger Flight time: 6 to 8 minutes Price: $129.99 Info: ragerc.comFeatures:
Ultramicro scale model of the historic Beechcraft Model D17 Staggerwing Smooth and capable flight performance that’s perfect for experienced pilots Symmetrical airfoil wing design with rib details Beautifully detailed scale graphics Realistic functional retracts and flaps Lightweight at 2.4 ounces ready to fly Six- to 8-minute flight times on a single 200 mAh LiPo battery Five-channel transmitter with 2.4 GHz technology and built-in LiPo battery charger Four-in-one control board includes receiver, ESC, and two proportional servosProduct Review
The Rage R/C Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing Micro RTF is a great model to fly indoors or outside in light wind! Its looks and details are superb and very scalelike in flight, especially with the landing gear retracted! The details on this aircraft will put a smile on even the most demanding scale pilot’s face. Its flight characteristics are good as well. Remember that this is a scale model and, as such, it is not for novice pilots. If you have soloed and you are confident with a sport model, however, you will have no trouble with this one. The aircraft is housed in a nicely decorated box that does a great job of protecting the model from damage during transportation. The box includes the airplane, transmitter, and battery pack. It also includes four dry-cell AA batteries for the transmitter. The system operates on 2.4 GHz FHSS—similar to other systems seen at the field—so you can take it straight out to fly when you get it! The transmitter features a built-in charging system for the single-cell 200 mAh LiPo battery.
The Beechcraft is well detailed and has a dummy radial engine, fully symmetrical airfoil wing design with rib details, flying wires, an authentic scale trim scheme, flaps, and retractable landing gear.
When opening the box, pull out the foam section to find the instruction manual that is taped to the back. The instruction manual is short, but it does include a nice history of the Beechcraft Staggerwing. As per the manual, I installed the included four AA batteries in the transmitter and followed the instructions to charge the battery. First, take out the charge cord from the transmitter by opening the door on the lower left of it. Pull out the charge cord and close the door. There is a notch on the door to allow it to be closed and not pinch the charge cord. Leaving the transmitter off, plug in the battery, being careful to align the red dot on the charge cord with the red dot on the battery. The yellow LED indicator on the transmitter will glow when the battery is being charged. When the pack is fully charged, the LED will turn off. Now it’s time to install the battery. The Staggerwing features a neat battery hatch that is the upper section of the engine cowling. It is held in place with two tiny magnets, so carefully lift the upper section and it will pop off to reveal the battery area.
The included battery is easily accessed under the cowling and provides approximately 5 minutes of flight.
The battery is held in place with two magnets that are built into the model and two that are installed on the battery pack. The CG (center of gravity) has been prechecked, but if you have to repair or modify the aircraft, make sure to recheck the CG before flight. The manual does not show the CG location, but I measured mine at the leading edge of the top wing with the battery installed. The instructions don’t tell you, but always turn on the transmitter then the receiver in the airplane. This will ensure that you have a signal to the receiver and prevents spurious radio frequency noise engaging the propeller and possibly causing injury. Turn on the transmitter and ensure that the throttle stick is at idle then plug the battery into the airplane and slip the battery onto the mount area, making certain that the two magnets engage with the matching magnets and snap into place. Because this model has retractable landing gear, pick it up off of the table when you plug in the battery because the landing gear might move depending on the position of the landing gear switch on the transmitter. The ailerons will first move back and forth, indicating that the receiver is linked and working properly. If the gear is still up, flip the landing gear switch on the top left of the transmitter. The gear will extend and the bottom wing flaps will lower. Now reinstall the cowling cover. It is always good practice to verify that everything is working before launch. Check the direction of the ailerons, elevator, and rudder. Before flying, look over the airplane and, using the trim buttons around the sticks, adjust the trims so that everything looks to be in neutral position. If all is working well, you can hand launch the aircraft or perform a rise-off-ground takeoff.
The flying wires are a nice touch and add to the other scale adornments.
The model flies well but is not overpowered. This is not a 3D airplane! It flies in a scalelike fashion at approximately 75% power. I enjoyed flying it around and even did a couple of loops! The controls are sluggish but flyable. The Staggerwing looks so cool in the air! I love this airplane! I can fly it for 3 to 5 minutes on a charge, but that can vary with your power settings. Landing is easy, but remember that the extra drag caused by extending the landing gear and flaps will require you to carry some power all the way down to landing. I recommend that you play around in flight with the gear down to get used to handling the aircraft in the “dirty” landing mode. When you are finished flying for the day, retract the landing gear using the switch on the transmitter while securely holding the model. This will automatically retract the gear so that the aircraft slips back into the box. After the gear retracts, remove the battery, turn off the transmitter, and place the airplane back in the box. The instructions include additional information for how to reverse the servos and bind, should the need arise. If you purchased this from your favorite hobby shop, it can also supply repair parts. A convenient listing of parts is in the back of the instruction manual. If you don’t have a local retailer, parts can be ordered from Rage R/C through its website or by calling (800) 622-7223.
