This World War II aggressor features silkscreened detail and factory-installed retracts. Article and photos Jeff Troy. Featured in the Winter 2014 issue of Park Pilot.
The World Models (TWM) offers several lines of factory-built aircraft and RC accessories, and one of its newest models is an all-wood, laser-cut Zero Fighter EP (40) ARF. Based on the infamous Mistubishi A6M Zero, this model goes together quickly, and flies with a sense of realism that rivals the fullscale airplane. The airframe components are factory built and covered with TWM’s rugged ToughLon film. One of many special features of this model is that panel lines and rivets have been silkscreened onto the film, greatly enhancing the model’s close-up, scalelike appearance. Assembly begins by joining the two wing panels over the hardwood dihedral brace. I use Bob Smith Industries (BSI) Slow-Cure 30-minute epoxy for this task, and after I’ve taped the panels together, I move them out of the way to cure overnight or a minimum of eight hours. Pay attention to the manual before beginning work on the tail section. The elevator joiner and the tail wheel wire must be in place before the stabilizer and vertical fin are installed.
Contents out of the box.
Two-piece wing joins over a hardwood dihedral brace. Jeff uses Bob Smith Slow-Cure Epoxy.
BSI Mid-Cure Epoxy (15-minute) is more than adequate for mounting the stabilizer and fin. I hinged the control surfaces with BSI Insta-Cure thin CA. Five mini servos are required for the Zero: two for the ailerons, and one each for the elevators, rudder and retracts. The rudder and elevator pushrods are of the wire-in-a-tube variety, and the tubes come factory installed. The two elevator pushrods are joined by a cleverly designed, screw-together device that connects them to the one elevator servo. My radio setup for the Zero is a JR 12X transmitter driving a Spektrum AR6210 DSMX receiver and five Spektrum A4000 mini servos. The 40-amp ESC, brushless motor, adapter and 11 x 8 propeller came with the optional E310EPTS power package from AirBorne Models. The retracts use two factory-installed pushrods to a single servo, and the correct servo travel is given in the manual. Because the mini A4000 is not a 180-degree, lock-to-lock servo, I could use the end-point feature on my 12X to hit the marks. The 12X also has a servo speed feature, and the retracts look great when you slow them to a realistic pace.
Jeff chose five Spektrum A4000 mini servos for the Zero Fighter EP. The retract setup is shown here.
Servo-operated mechanical retracts are factory installed in the Zero’s wing, shown here extended.
The mechanical gears retract neatly, and are covered by a pair of thin, ABS-plastic gear fairings.
Most TWM pilot busts have Asian features. This isn’t the best situation for German, English, U.S. and other fighters, but for the Zero, you couldn’t get a better fit. A screw through the floor ensures my pilot’s security, then the canopy and four more screws seal him in underneath it. High rates are given in the manual, and although you might suspect them to be short on delivery, you should use them because they are ideal for scalelike flight. The 12X has triple rates, so I finished my setup with the mid rates at 75 and the low rates at 50 percent of the high-rate marks. I set the exponential for all three rates at 30 percent. My startup numbers worked well, and no changes were made after a few flights were logged. High rates keep the model responsive during takeoff and landing, and mid rates seem ideal for realistically boring around. The only time I use the low-rate setting is during inverted flight, so I can compensate for my tendency to overcontrol in the pitch axis by limiting the airplane’s elevator response.
The Zero Fighter EP (40) ARF looks great on a hot, low flypast at “strafe” altitude. Fighter jockeys wiggle the rudder to spray the bullets!
On paved surfaces or shortly mowed grass, the Zero Fighter handles taxi, takeoff and landing with authority. The steerable tail wheel works with the rudder to ensure good ground handling.
The World Models’ Zero Fighter EP (40) ARF is a good deal, all around. It’s quick and easy to complete, it flies realistically with plenty of stability for intermediate pilots, it looks good, doesn’t require exotic RC equipment, and it’s inexpensive — even the power package is a bargain for what you get with it.
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