Piccole Ali

Aeromodellismo dinamico online

AEROMODELLO RADIOCOMANDATO

RADIO CONTROL MODEL

CAP 10 MUDRY

VQ MODEL CAP 10 ARF 60 RC

Apertura alare / Wing span: 1500 mm

MOTORE A SCOPPIO / GAS POWER

2-Tempi / 2-Stroke: 0.61 – 0.75 ci

4-Tempi / 4-Stroke: 0.70 ci

MOTORE ELETTRICO / ELECTRIC POWER

KV 610-720

Produttore / Manufacturer: Distribuito in Italia da:

www.vqmodel.com www.piccoleali.it

2009 Piccole Ali – Stra’ (Venezia) - Italia

www.piccoleali.it …passione pronta al volo !

Il CAP 10 Mudry è un addestratore acrobatico biposto costruito nel 1970 e rimasto in produzione fino al
2007. L’aero fu sviluppato dal Piel Super Emeraude e fu designato CP100. Il prototipo del CAP 10 eseguì il
primo volo nel Agosto del 1968 e fu successivamente modificato nella variante CAP 10B con superfici di
coda riviste. Il CAP 10 versione B era costruito in legno mentre la versione “C” ha la struttura alare portante
in carbonio. Il motore è un Lycoming AEIO-360 ad iniezione da 180 HP, completamente lubrificato anche in
volo rovescio.

Il CAP 10 è uno degli addestratori acrobatici di maggior successo nel mondo, circa 2000 aerei erano ancora
operativi verso la fine dell’anno 2000 ed è stato l’aero scuola di due generazioni di campioni.

Il modello

Se siete neofiti del volo acrobatico non c’è niente di meglio del VQ CAP-10 ARF per iniziare ad allenarsi. Se
volete migliorare le Vostre capacità di esecuzione delle figure acrobatiche, il CAP-10 Vi offre tutte le
possibilità di diventare un asso grazie alla precisione nelle risposte ai comandi e alle doti di volo che Vi
faranno presto prendere confidenza con le figure più impegnative. Se siete già degli assi delle
acrobazie…beh, il divertimento è assicurato!

Il kit riproduce con cura e precisione una bellissima livrea di sicuro effetto estetico che esalterà le Vostre
acrobazie!

Caratteristiche del modello

Costruzione tradizionale in balsa e compensato delle migliori qualità
Naca motore e carenatura ruote in fibra di vetro dipinte di fabbrica
Superficie di controllo già incernierate di fabbrica
Accattivante rivestimento realizzato con film vinilico prestampato riproducente il velivolo “Midi-Pyrenees
Voltige”
Cabina pilota dettagliata
Pratico vano batteria (utile in caso di motorizzazione elettrica)
Libretto d’istruzioni passo-passo

Caratteristiche tecniche – VQ Model CAP-10 ARF 60 RC

Apertura alare 1500 mm
Lunghezza fusoliera 1200 mm
2
Superficie alare 33.2 dm
Peso
Motore a combustione interna 2-tempi / .61 - .75 ci 4-tempi / .90 ci
Motorizzazione elettrica Brushless Outrunner 60A-80A Brushless controller
KV/RPM-V 610 o equivalente LiPo 4500 mAh – 6S
Radio 4-5 canali 4-5 servi

Accessori inclusi
Carrelli principali carenati e carrello di coda
Ruote
Supporto servi
Castello motore
Serbatoio
Pacchetto hardware completo

Non incluso
Ogiva in alluminio, motore, servi, colla e tubo miscela

Prodotti correlati

Motore AST S61Alls RC

Motore FS91AR RC

Visitate il negozio online / Visit our website: www.piccoleali.it oppure scriveteci a / contact us at:
info@piccoleali.com

2009 Piccole Ali – Stra’ (Venezia) - Italia

www.piccoleali.it …passione pronta al volo !

VQ MODEL CAP 10 ARF 60 RC

Aeromodello Radiocomandato / Radio Contro Model

2009 Piccole Ali – Stra’ (Venezia) - Italia

FROM WWW.RCGROUPS.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=863828

INTRODUCTION

To my way of thinking, there are two modeling

subjects which best represent the quintessential
model airplane: One is WWII warbirds, and the
other is high-performance, aerobatic air show
planes like the Cap-10B.

After all, if you're going to roll, tumble, loop

and/or spin, why not do it with a model whose
prototype does those very things on a regular
basis at air shows all over the world? Enter one of
the latest models from Vinh Quang Model and
Global Hobby, the VQ Model Cap-10B .60. Wingspan: 59" (1.5m)
Wing area: 511 sq. in. (330 sq. cm)

You may recall my assembly adventures with this Weight: 112.9 oz. (3.2kg)
same company's .40-sized P-51D. After that Length: 47" (1.205m)
review was published here, Global Hobby's Center of gravity: 2.9" - 3" back from the LE of
product developer Mike Greenshields worked as a the wing (75 - 78mm)
liaison between the company and I to directly and Servos: Cirrus CS601BB standard for
ailerons and flaps; Hitec HS-
immediately discuss my suggestions for improving
311 standard for elevator,
the quality of both model and documentation. I'm rudder and throttle (31311S)
honored to report that the good folks at VQ took Transmitter: Futaba 6EX "FASST" spread
all of my suggestions to heart and are spectrum (FUTK6900,
implementing them as necessary in all future transmitter and receiver
only)
production runs of their models, many of which
Receiver: Futaba R606FS (FUTL7635,
seem to have been implemented on this very discontinued)
model. That's real customer service from both VQ
Receiver battery: HydriMax Ultra 6.0v
and Global and that's why I'm so proud to present 2000mAh NiMH flat pack
this review. (HCAM6351)
Engine .58 - .61 two-stroke glow/.70
The prototype, built by France's Avions Mudry & requirements: - .91 four-stroke glow

Cie., now Apex Aircraft, first flew in 1970. The Engine as tested: Magnum XLS .61A two-stroke
glow (210770); Magnum XL
current model, the Cap-10C, is still in production Pitts-style muffler (279945)
today. A total of more than 300 Caps have been
Fuel as tested: Byron's 15% nitro/18% oil
built primarily as air show aircraft, but some Caps
Propeller as tested: APC 12x7, DU-BRO 3"
have found their way into the military fleets of spinner
several countries for use as trainer aircraft,
Manufacturer: Vinh Quang Model
including that of its home country. The name is an
Catalog numbers: VQA034 (red), VQA035
acronym for "Constructions Aéronautiques (pink)
Parisiennes." Power for the Cap comes from the
Available from: Hobby People
USA in the guise of a fuel-injected, 180-
List $309.99/$199.99
horsepower Lycoming AEIO-360. price/suggested
selling price (USD):
VQ produces their Cap in two trim schemes. The
"pink" scheme, with its French civil aviation ID of F-GAUH, is based on an actual aircraft
owned and flown by a French aeronautics club. The "red" scheme which denotes the
standard factory livery is the subject of this review and is similar to the pink scheme, but its
registration of F-GDIN is that of a full-scale Cessna 152; those of you who feel guilty about
adding incorrect decals to a scale subject need not worry in this case.

Let's begin!
KIT CONTENTS

Big box on a big coffee table. The box art is Here's the sight which awaits you just beneath
attractive if just a bit strange, especially with the box top. It looks a bit haphazard, but no
the poorly translated English. parts were damaged.

The wing halves were shipped in a single bag

The fuselage poses with the pushrods right out
and separated by sheets of decal backing
of the package.
paper. Worked fine.

You'll find your new Cap-10B packaged in a fairly attractive box featuring photos of both
trim schemes, and while the box itself is nice and thick, the lid isn't; mine tore as I removed
the box from its shipping carton.

Another thing you'll notice is the box art's mangled English which seems to be a direct
translation from the alternate French text resulting in some rather strange syntax, not to
mention a few misspellings. I don't speak French, so I can't vouch for that text's accuracy.
Some badly translated English (no French at all) continues throughout the manual. I've
suggested that VQ take advantage of their fairly new partnership with Global Hobby and
electronically forward future manuals and box art for proofreading. In marketing, perception
is reality and this beauty deserves the best possible presentation.
 Seems logical that the seats and floorboard Here are the hardware package and canopy.
came packed in the place they'd eventually That hardware package isn't as jumbled as it
wind up anyway. looks. Everything is in its own Ziploc bag.

Both versions of the VQ Model Cap-10B .60 include:

 Precovered and almost fully sheeted fuselage

 Precovered three-piece wing with preinstalled ailerons and flaps secured with three-
piece nylon hinges
 Precovered tail and rudder
 Precovered horizontal stabilizer and elevator
 Vacuformed or fiberglass scale details including PVC seats, PVC strut fairings and
fiberglass wheel pants
 Full hardware package including plastic wheels with foam tires
 Fuel tank
 Spinner
 Decal sheet
 Fiberglass engine cowl

You will need:

 .58 - .61 two-stroke or .70 - .91 four-stroke aircraft engine

 Propeller (manual recommends 12x6 - 12x7 for two-stroke, 12x7 - 14x6 for four-
stroke)
 Optional Pitts-style muffler
 Optional aluminum spinner
 Minimum five-channel computerized aircraft radio with seven standard servos
 Fuel based on your engine's requirements
 4.8v or 6.0v receiver battery of 1500mAh capacity or better
 Two 6" servo extension leads for the aileron servos, three if mounting the throttle servo
to the firewall
 Two optional 6" servo extension leads plugged into your receiver to facilitate connecting
and disconnecting the ailerons and flaps
 One 12" servo extension lead for the rudder servo
 Y-harness for the flap servos
 Y-harness if combining both aileron servos into a single channel
 Great Planes or DU-BRO pushrod clamps (optional but highly recommended)
 Medium diameter silicone fuel tubing
 Foam sheeting for receiver and fuel tank
 CA and epoxy
 Basic assembly tools
 Basic field equipment

Like the P-51D before it, the Cap-10B came carefully and securely packaged. The hardware
may look like a jumbled mess at first glance, but I can assure you from experience that it is
not; the hardware comes packaged and organized in individual Ziploc-style bags.
 A neat bundle straight from the box showing One beautifully finished fiberglass cowl
the rudder, horizontal stabilizer, elevator, awaiting its unwrapping. The black and white
assembly manual and just below the manual, halves lined up almost perfectly with those on
the decal sheets. the fuselage.

Front of unwrapped cowl. This was clearly

hand-wrapped but done well.

VQ Model is unique among ARF manufacturers in their use of preprinted graphics over
heavy-duty, adhesive-backed vinyl covering film. This gives the benefits of a low decal
count and no chance of the graphics lifting off the covering over time. However, the thick
vinyl is susceptible to temperature changes when new and will relax when exposed to
sunlight; you'll need to frequently expose the components to outside temperature in order
to acclimate the covering.

That covering is ironed over subassemblies which really mean business. The control
surfaces and horizontal stabilzer are solid wood, hinged not with "credit card" CA hinges but
with three-piece nylon hinges. This is also the first ARF I've ever completed which had both
ailerons and flaps securely installed from the factory.

ASSEMBLY

Wing

We begin by attaching the dihedral joiners to the center section of the wing. The manual
recommends a test fit before securing everything with thirty-minute epoxy. A pair of 7mm
wooden dowels are used to locate the front of the completed wing and need to protrude
10mm. You'll have to drill out the holes, but not too much. These dowels should be a
reasonably snug fit.
 The very first subassembly you'll complete is
the wing center section. Those holes between
my thumb are the ones I drilled for the servo
leads. I hadn't cleaned them up at this point.

You may also have to drill holes for the servo leads. They're shown in the illustrations, but
my center section didn't have any. Should you need to drill holes as I did (see the photo),
do so carefully since that's some rather soft balsa skinning that certer section. Use an X-
Acto to square the openings as illustrated in the manual. It'll make it a lot easier to pass the
plugs through later.

The manual shows the use of preinstalled "fishing lines" for the servo leads, but my kit had
none and it seems they aren't necessary. You'll have no trouble fishing the lines through
later on.

This is where I took some time to admire the craftsmanship of this model. All of the ribs of
both wings and center section were either laser-cut balsa, plywood or hardwood and all fit
together beautifully.

The aileron servos are next and, like those used on the P-51D, are Cirrus CS601BB ball-
bearing standard servos. These servos are not only among the smoothest and most
powerful standard servos on the market, they're a tremendous bargain at less than US$10
each through Hobby People. Start by trimming the covering from around the servo mount
with an X-Acto. Attach a 6" servo extension to the servo lead; I suggest securely wrapping
the connection with electrical tape to prevent separation. Run the plug out through the
center section and mount the aileron servo in its cradle per the manual. I opted to use some
DU-BRO socket head servo screws in lieu of the hardware supplied with the servos; it's just
easier and faster to use socket heads and their built-in washers evenly spread the load
across the mounting ferrules and bushings. They also look great. Remove the flap servo
mounting plate, run it the short distance necessary to the end of the wing and out the same
hole as the aileron lead. Repeat for the other side. When the leads are through, mix up
some more thirty-minute epoxy and join each wing to the center section. The result is a
solid, well-aligned unit with greatly improved construction over that of the P-51D with its
too-soft sheeting.

Installing the aileron pushrods and horns is a straightforward task; just remember to use
short lengths of fuel line over the clevises as a safety precaution not mentioned in the
manual. Chuck a 5/64" (2mm) drill bit in your pin vise, drill the necessary holes per the
instructions and take a moment to use that drill to ream the holes in the horns. Use an X-
Acto to open up the holes in the backing plates ever so slightly. Use the enclosed 2x20mm
screws; they're a perfect fit unlike those in the P-51D which proved to be too short.

On the other hand, get a couple of 2-56 pushrods and clevises for the flaps and their hidden
servos. Here's where I ran into my first minor glitches.
Start by removing the covering over the slots which the pushrods will pass through and
remove the preinstalled servo mounting plates. When mounting the flap servos to the
preinstalled wooden blocks on the wing's servo panels, don't mount the servo all the way
against the underside of that panel; you won't be able to reinstall it later. Instead, mount
the servos (which in this case are two more Cirrus CS601 servos) as close to the top of the
blocks as possible, but beware: Use your pin vise to drill pilot holes for the mounting
screws. Otherwise, you're guaranteed to crack the mounting block. I found that out the
hard way, but a bit of work with the pin vise and some CA and I was back in business, that
is, until I tried to bend the pushrods. No dimensions are given, so it became a matter of
trial and error which came at the cost of all four short pushrods included with the model.
When bent too far, they snapped like twigs. Some DU-BRO 2-56 pushrods from my
grooveyard of mangled monoplanes were bent to fit and cut to length. Basically, I bent the
rods nearly 90 degrees behind the threads and another near-90 degree bend about the
width of the servo in the opposite direction. The manual cautions you that one of the servos
is a "revert servo.” I assumed a servo reversing harness was necessary, and I happened to
have one on hand, but it wasn't; both flaps moved in the proper direction when joined via a
Y-harness, but quite a bit of bending and rebending was necessary to get everything to
work right due to the aforementioned lack of dimensions and a non-scale drawing.

I opted to use the mix of Great Planes and DU-BRO pushrod clamps I had on hand. The
manual says you'll need to purchase clamps, but there are some packaged with the model.
Sadly, these are of the type which utilize a threaded, knurled nut and a drop of CA to retain
the clamp to the servo arm. Perhaps it's just me, but I don't trust these types of clamps.
For those of you more comfortable with z-bends, so much the better. I've never had a
problem using clamps, but they do require some occasional inspection for wear and a quick
snugging up with an allen wrench.

Newly assembled wing photographed on my

Front view of the assembled wing prior to my
formal dining room table to give you an idea
remounting of the wheel pants.
about the size of this plane.

Installation of the fixed landing gear with their PVC and fiberglass fairings completes the
wing. Trimming the PVC strut fairings isn't particularly difficult, but you're left with virtually
no surface on which to CA the halves together. Once you do, slip the wheel pants and
mounting plates over the axles and check the enclosed foam wheels for proper fit. Mine
were too tight, but the #2 Phillips screwdriver I had on the bench was just the thing to
ream out the holes. We'll have to see how the foam tires hold up after exposure to fuel.
Some really good news: The enclosed wheel collars are a vast improvement over those
which VQ provided with the P-51D with no tendency for the setscrew to strip out.

The plywood blocks which are meant to be used as the mounts for the wheel pants
immediately began delaminating when I tried to screw down the first of the wheel
pants...and this was after I drilled pilot holes with the pin vise. Nevertheless, there was
enough bite to "keep the pants up" as it were. Some CA was used to reinforce the wood and
all was well, at least for the time being.
 Somehow, the other wheel fairing just didn't seem to fit the right way. No wonder: The top
openings were different sizes...and even in slightly different locations. Even the overall
dimensions between the left and right sides were off.

It could also be a lot stronger as I discovered later. The slightest bumps tore the screws and
blocks right off. This is an easy fix; simply remove the blocks, drill through both the pants
and mounts and run a 6-32 x 3/8 machine screw and nut through, securing the nuts with a
dab of threadlocking compound. Be careful not to overtighten the bolts. As it is, you'll hear
some protesting from the fiberglass, but the threadlocking compound will hold the nuts in
place without the need to overtighten anything. Save yourself some frustration later on and
do this at the onset. I've already discussed the issue with Global Hobby who in turn has
promised to bring this to the attention of the factory.

Left wheel pant/fairing assembly before my Right wheel pant/fairing before modification.
modification. Note the thin, delaminating The vast difference between the left and right
plywood. Also note that while the flap servos sides made a difference in where I drove the
are hidden, the aileron servos are not. screws.

Fuselage

Work on the fuselage begins with installing the engine, but before you do, take a moment
once again to admire the workmanship. VQ Model has done an exemplary job with this unit.
The fuselage is fully sheeted except for some stringers on the turtle deck. Take a look at the
photos to see what I mean. Just be careful of the stringers. I managed to crack three
slightly while fitting the wing, but some thin CA wicked in with a short length of extension
tubing saved the day.

They've also greatly improved their documentation. Installing the engine on the P-51D was
a study in frustration, resulting in an improperly mounted engine. Not so with this manual.

Like the P-51D, the bulkhead has the thrust angle built in, making the Cap-10B a natural for
conversion to electric power. There's plenty of room behind it for a big li-po pack. Scribed
draft lines on the front of the bulkhead make it easy to line up the strong, glass-filled nylon
mounts. The manual is explicit in how every possible engine and muffler combination should
be mounted.

Here's a tip: It isn't mentioned in the manual, and I found it down in the box too late to be
able to take advantage of it, but included is a terrific little laser-scribed wooden template
which will greatly simplify the installation.
 Front view of the firewall
showing the offset and laser-
scribed alignment lines.

You're even given the choice of mounting the throttle servo next to the engine or in the
servo tray to help with the CG; I originally elected to mount a Hitec HS-311 standard servo
next to the engine per the manual, figuring that a servo mounted this far forward would
offset the one mounted in the tail for the rudder and that any CG issues could be
accomplished by moving the battery and/or receiver Yes, there are four possible mounting
locations, one on either side of the firewall and one on either side of the elevator servo
depending on your choice of engine and configuration. How cool is that? Jumping ahead, I
can tell you that I experienced some problems due to the rather short throw between servo
and carburetor; even with a greatly shortened leftover Sullivan Gold-N-Cable cable instead
of a pushrod, I had some problems with binding, not to mention serviceability. Adjusting the
cable required removal of the fuel tank and just trying to get the servo and its arm in an out
of the opening just wasn't worth the hassle. I wound up moving the servo back to its place
on the servo tray. Much better. I now had far better control of the throttle. With the cable, it
proved impossible to shut off the engine during its break-in without carefully placing my
finger over the carb throat. It would prove to be a benefit later since the finished model
balanced slightly nose-heavy anyway.

Although it's possible to use a standard muffler

on the Cap, save yourself the hassle of having The freshly installed Magnum XLS with its Pitts
to carve away large sections of cowl and muffler awaiting its glow plug, carb, fuel tank
fuselage and get one of these beauties right at and servo.
the onset.
 The incredible-looking silicone
dual exhausts in place on the
Dressed engine less its fuel tank; note the
Magnum Pitts muffler. This
narrow, stretched factory fuel tube connecting
muffler is a perfect match for
the needle to the carb. The servo was later
this engine and airframe. No
relocated to the servo tray.
trimming of the pipes was
required.

Getting back on track, the manual suggests holding the engine and mounts together,
aligning the mounts to the bulkhead and to temporarily attach the mounts to the bulkhead
in preparation for drilling the 11/64" mounting holes. Instead, I found that holding just the
upper mount to the Magnum XLS .61A (itself reviewed here at RC Power) allowed me to
center both the mount and the engine's centerline. I varied just a bit in my choice of
mounting hardware, electing to use four DU-BRO 4x25 allen head bolts in conjunction with
the factory washers and blind nuts.

Speaking of the manual, there's also a slight issue regarding the hole which must be drilled
for the throttle pushrod. The place it shows is incorrect. It does show the proper placement
of the hole for a four-stroke.

Once both mounts were in, I noticed that they weren't perfectly square with one another
due to the the mounts themselves not being square where they contact the bulkhead. They
weren't off by much, so all it really took was gently squeezing the mounts together when
marking the holes for the engine mounting hardware.

Don't bother trying to use those enclosed bolts to bolt the engine to the mounts. They're
too short.

Off to the hardware store for some stainless steel 6-32x1.25" Allen bolts, some #6 washers
and lock washers and some 6-32 nuts. On went the engine with no further problems.

Installing the cowl, propeller and spinner is next, but if your engine is new (like mine), this
is a good time to forego the cowl, jump ahead a few steps, install the fuel tank and break in
your engine if you haven't done so on the bench. Get yourself a good 3" spinner while
you're at it. An inexpensive 2" spinner which doesn't come close to complementing the
quality of this model is included, one more suitable for a park flyer or a .40 nitro plane, nor
does it fit; it's far too small an affair to use with the recommended 12x7 prop, and I can
only guess that it was packed by mistake. I'm pleased to announce that the spinner found a
new home in front of another plane of mine which had a damaged spinner. The DU-BRO 3"
spinner I used needed some carving to clear the APC prop as it was. I've outlined the cowl
installation a little later on.
 One of these things is not like the other. The 2"
spinner on the left was the one supplied with
the model. The assembly on the right is what
wound up being used.

If you do elect to break your engine in while mounted to the fuselage, mount the wing with
the enclosed nylon bolts to keep oil out of the inside. Use a stand of suitable width; this is
extremely important and I discovered the hard way that my Ernst Ultra-Stand was too
narrow. The balsa skin along the front half of the belly is very thin and easily broken as I
discovered. The torque of the big Magnum actually tried to push the top of the stand
through the bottom of the plane. Fortunately, the damage was minimal and easily fixed by
carefully pushing the wood back out with the handle of a screwdriver, applying thin CA with
the help of an extension tube and ironing the covering back down.

The wing and fuselage meet for the first time

Big plane, big engine. Both dwarf the 11x7
just prior to the first start-up of the new
break-in prop.
engine.

The Magnum XLS .61A at speed during the

Looking as if it needs little more than the
completion of the break-in process. Thank
canopy and cowl for completion, the Cap-10B
goodness for those steel braces on either side
is instead serving as a break-in stand. The fun
of the wing! Otherwise, this plane wouldn't
will come later at this very field.
have stopped until it reached LA!

Tail

Installing the tail starts with the horizontal stabilizer. As is the case with most ARFs, you'll
need to remove the covering from the empennage with a sharp, new X-Acto. Unwrap the
stabilzer, and remove the preinstalled elevator halves. They aren't glued in, so they'll slide
right out. Here's where I noticed another nice detail on the part of VQ: The hinges are firmly
glued to the elevator halves, meaning you won't have to worry about alignment problems
with them when you do install the elevators.
 The rest of the installation is typical. I installed the wing per the manual, measured 11 1/2"
from the edges of the stab to the top of the tail and 33" from the topmost cowl mounting
block back to the same edges.

We move on to the control horns which seem to be shown in the drawings as not squaring
up with the elevator surfaces, which is how I elected to do it since the pushrods exit at an
angle a bit too close to the elevators. Mounting the horns is as before with the ailerons and
flaps.

The tailwheel and its PVC aerodynamic fairing are next. The screws used to mount the
tailwheel bracket seemed a bit short, so I used a bit of CA to secure everything. This is
where I found another neat little touch not shown in the manual: There's a tab below the
bend in the wire which serves to spread the load more than just the wire itself could do.
Again, another nice touch, but one which required a great bit of opening of the tail to
accept. Likewise the slots on the tail for the prehinged rudder. Lots of carving was
necessary before the hinges would fit.

The completed tail section showing the

tailwheel bracket and the prototypically correct
aerodynamic fairing.

Adding the rudder made for a real visual treat, by the way. It added both overall length and
grace and I don't mind saying that this is becoming one of the most beautiful model planes
I've ever had the opportunity to assemble.

The rudder servo, pushrod and horn go in next, completing the tail section. My parts bin
yielded another DU-BRO pushrod since I'd destroyed all of the short factory rods trying to
bend them for the flaps. There's a preinstalled fishing line for the servo lead, but don't
forget to attach and secure a 12" extension first. Complete the tail with the installation of
the elevator servo and its triple clamp which actuates the elevator pushrods. This is an
excellent idea which I encountered in the P-51D. It eliminates a joining wire at the rear and
allows for fine tuning the alignment of both elevator halves.

For safety, I slipped some short lengths of fuel tubing over each of the clevises as I'd done
with the wing before calling it a day.

The next day, off I went to the club field to complete the engine break-in. It created quite a
buzz, even with a couple of the regulars who fly giant scale. The time spent outside had the
added benefit of acclimating the covering.

Completion

If you haven't yet installed the fuel tank, now's the time and do take a moment to install a
piece of 1/4" foam rubber between the rear of the tank and the nearest bulkhead to help
hold it in place. Otherwise, all that's holding it is the rubber stopper. I'd learn later on that
this is a necessary step, but one not covered in the manual. I'd installed it less the foam in
order to break in the engine and I once again have to give VQ Model credit for their
thoughtful pre-bending of the vent tube. Another thoughtful touch is the fact that the
pressure line from the muffler connects to a nipple on the tank itself, leaving a third,
unused hole in the stopper for an extra tube, line and clunk to drain the tank via a second
fuel dot should you wish to. Mine came out at this time in order to install a DU-BRO Kwik-
Fill fueling valve (catalog number 334) on the cowl and to relocate the throttle servo. Make
sure that you plug the filler line if you use the DU-BRO valve or something similar. I
plugged it internally with a screw screwed into a short piece of fuel line before replacing it.
This setup would later prove to work just fine.

I also installed the cowl itself, using the old trick of using strips of masking tape over the
mounting blocks and fuselage, measuring back one inch from the center of the block and
drawing a line between that spot and the fuselage. Measure the distance back from the glow
plug and high-speed needle and do the same thing, marking the cowl at those spots once
it's installed. The included 2x20mm mounting screws are called for for attaching the cowl.
Deviating ever so slightly, those allen head servo screws I'd used throughout the model just
so happened to be 2x20mm and they not only look terrific, they'll make future engine
access a lot easier. I got the hole for the glow plug on the money, but I was off just a hair
for the high-speed needle due to slight, unnoticed interference from the top of the needle
itself. Illustrations suggest different openings which need to be made depending on the
muffler setup. My use of a Magnum Pitts muffler meant all I had to do was to open up the
bottom rear of the cowl to clear the silicone exhaust pipes. I installed the prop and spinner
and the front of the plane was finished.

Top view of the firewall showing the engine

Temporarily mounted cowl showing my
offset and cowl mounting blocks. Not much
Masking tape method for the proper placement
room for error where those mounting blocks
of the screws. Worked like a charm.
are concerned.

Top of cowl; the strip of masking tape on the

Right side view of the cowl prior to the drilling
left shows a distance of 11cm from the mark
of the mixture screw and glow plug holes. I
on the tape to the location of the hole for the
hated drilling into such a nice piece!
mixture screw.
The cockpit floor and seats are next, the former attaching via four 2x10mm screws. The
seats are next and attach with a bit of CA. Be careful: There are a definite top and bottom
to the seats, but this may not be apparent at first. I installed mine with the longer side
serving as the back, applying the CA to the surface with the injection marks. The underside
of that floor makes a great place to mount a flat battery pack, and so I did with the help of
some Velcro. No recommendation is made regarding the capacity of the battery, but with
seven standard servos onboard, I went with a HydraMax 6.0v 2000mAh flat pack. I installed
the receiver as well, wrapping it in foam and attaching it to the servo tray with some zip
ties. There's no mention as to the location of a receiver power switch and there seems to be
an opening on the servo tray where I mounted the receiver, but I didn't see the point of an
internally mounted switch. A heavy-duty JR deluxe switch harness (JRPA001) was mounted
to the left side of the plane next to the receiver. It's larger than the standard Futaba switch
I'd planned on using, but the extra insurance of a top-quality switch such as this offsets the
aesthetics, which really aren't bad.

Trimming the canopy can be done with ordinary scissors if you don't have Lexan scissors.
Die-cut stickers are provided for the frame as well as clear instructions, but I discovered
that some were too short. No problem; some extra sticker material cut to fit solved the
problem nicely, but that's another detail that VQ Model really should address sooner instead
of later. It all goes back to perception of quality. As far as alignment of the canopy is
concerned, it aligns well and the manual shows it in the proper position in relationship to
the full-scale Cap-10, unlike the box art which shows the canopy too far back. Check
against online photos of the full-scale plane to see what I mean.

Installation of the cowling decals and any optional sponsor decals complete the assembly of
the Cap. If you have the red version as I do, be careful to install the starburst decals in
their proper orientation. All three should tilt forward with the longer of the two black
starbursts on the top. The manual simply shows the starbursts already installed, but neither
the picture nor the decal sheet really show which decal goes where. They're also way too
shiny for my taste. The sponsor decals are not, but a couple are printed slightly out of
register. You may opt to trim around the starbursts with a good, sharp X-Acto, removing
the shiny clear part.

I based my decal choice on the most tasteful photo on the VQ website, opting for the
prototypical "CAP 10" decal on the tail, the Lycoming and Champion decals near the cowl
and the Michelin decals on the wheel pants. That Lycoming decal is one that's off-register,
but it doesn't look all that bad once applied.

Finally, you're at step 32, the CG and control range setup. The range values are given in
both US and metric, but the US values are almost silly. It's far easier to set up the flaps for
20mm of throw as opposed to 51/64", isn't it?

Now all we need is a pilot! I may have to mock up some

control wheels before long.
 This is where a computer radio is necessary since the ailerons call for an up throw of 15mm
and a down throw of 10mm. Problem: The flaps on my Futaba 6EX are on channel six. So
too is the flaperon function which would have allowed me to assign each servo its own
channel. Solution: 15mm of throw in both directions since both ailerons are on channel one.
Flaps and elevators are set to 20mm of throw, the rudder at between 45 and 50mm and the
CG from 75 to 78mm back from the leading edge of the wing. No matter what part of the
world you live in, ignore the US measurements. Few rulers I know of measure 25/64",
19/32" and the like. There isn't a suggestion of exponential value, but I went with 30% as a
starting point on the low rate setting to soften what I felt would be some very lively
response. This proved to be a near-perfect setting during the test flights. On the high rate
side, I increased the expo as well as the throws by five percent. A quick check of the CG
which is at the forward edge of the black simulated pilot and passenger steps showed that
the CG was pretty close to right on the money with a slight nose-heavy attitude.

This was also my first opportunity to see the completed model. All I can say is: Stunning.
Simply stunning. This is one of the most beautiful model aircraft I've ever seen.

FLYING

Basics

As has been the case with my previous reviews, I recruited Dan Metz, president of the
Coachella Valley Radio Control Club, to give the Cap-10B the once-over and fly the maiden
and was he ever impressed with the looks and the overall construction of this model.
Impressed as well were some other flyers on hand.

Some engine starting problems immediately manifested themselves, but once the cowl and
prop were removed and the engine test-run without the cowl or spinner in place, the culprit
turned out to be the needle valve block-off plug on the side of the carb which was visibly
loose while the engine was running. Once that was tightened back down, zoom! The fuel
tank had popped loose from its hole in the firewall during this time, so we used some paper
towels and a discarded sleeve from a Starbucks coffee cup to temporarily secure the tank in
place until I could do a proper fix, which came about later in the aforementioned form of a
sheet of 1/4" foam rubber between a bulkhead and the rear of the tank. A quick low-power
range check of the radio and of the control throws and we were ready.

This is the very first beauty shot of the completed Cap-

Pilot-eye beauty shot, Oh, to have been able to hitch a
10B, and she really is a beauty. The relaxed covering on
ride on this plane!
the wings corrected itself within a few minutes.
 Left side beauty shot showing the cowl-mounted DU-
BRO filler valve, the JR heavy-duty power switch and
the Cirrus rudder servo.

Taking Off and Landing

With Dan at the controls, the flaps down and the nose pointed into the wind, the Cap
streaked down the runway and was airborne inside of thirty feet (10m) thanks to the flaps
as well as a rather brisk headwind which almost made the flaps unnecessary.

To say he was impressed was an understatement.

All it needed for hands-off straight and level flight was a couple of clicks of right aileron.
We're talking fast straight and level as well, which I estimated at around 85 mph (140
km/h) at full throttle with an engine on its first flight since break-in.

Overall flight characteristics looked to be on par with some of the finest ARFs on the market
today. Dan has a lot of years of RC flight to his credit, so when someone like that makes a
string of enthisiatic comments on a model's performance, you take those comments at face
value and beyond. Even with standard servos, the Cap was locked down and absolutely
predictable. Dan had also commented on the Cap's impressive axial stability. Simply put,
banking the wings resulted in a clean turn or roll with no discernible drop in altitude or the
need to overcompensate with elevator. Nor was much elevator required for inverted flight.
Since the Cap balanced a bit nose heavy, he wasn't surprised at having to add a bit of
elevator, especially since it wanted to climb under acceleration during normal flight. Unlike a
Yak, Extra, Sukhoi and the like, the Cap-10B has some dihedral which may have played a
part. There appears to be a lot less wing loading here than meets the eye; I honestly
thought that the thing would have been a flying brick given the relatively short wingspan.
Thank goodness for the flaps; they really do their job. Quite well, I might add. A slow,
"dirty" fly-by with the flaps down was so slow that I was certain that it would tip stall and
crash, but if anything, the Cap actually wanted to climb even at what was basically a slow
jogging speed.

Dan gunned the throttle, raised the flaps and put the Cap through some basic aerobatic
manuevers which I've outlined below, all of which were near-flawless. Loops required a bit
more rudder than he would have liked, but the culprit turned out to be slightly misaligned
elevator halves. Landings were equally impressive. The flaps give plenty of lift, resulting in
an elliptical-winged aerobat which glides in like a trainer. Frankly, it lands like no model
plane of this type has a right to. I was certain it would tip stall at some point prior to that
first flight, but I needn't have been concerned. His landing was one of the smoothest I'd
ever seen with only a slight bounce from the foam tires and if we had an audience, they'd
have been yelling and clapping their approval. Even he was surprised at how well it landed.
 After a quick double-check of the control surfaces and a quick wipedown of the underbelly
and it was my turn.

Ground handling was great with my only concern being that the foam tires had clearly
soaked up some fuel or oil based on the tracks they left, but nothing prepared me for just
how great this bird would fly once it got in the air. Once more the Cap faced the wind, I
brough up the throttle and it was off into a clear desert sky.

It turns out that Dan had every reason to be impressed. I was expecting a tail heavy, tip-
stalling handful of an airplane; it was the first time I had preflight butterflies in a long time.
Unlike the ridiculously nose-heavy P-51D which required nearly three ounces of extra
weight at the tail, the Cap-10B was just nose-heavy enough to fly perfectly without the
need for extra weight. I was very glad at this point that I relocated the throttle servo and
used a plastic spinner instead of the aluminum one recommended online.

I'd overcompensated with a bit too much up elevator on takeoff which almost sent the Cap
vertical, but I was able to keep things under control. Within mere seconds, I felt as if I'd
been flying this plane for years. I'd expected it to be difficult to fly, but the overall
performance was simply stellar; VQ's own website claims that the Cap-10B is suitable for
beginning aerobatic pilots and I believe them. The recommended control throws made for
enthusiastic response while the 30% expo kept that enthusiasm in check. I tried some basic
victory rolls, some good old loop-the-loops and a couple of Immelmann turns and the Cap
responded in kind with only the slightest course deviation in the loops due to the misaligned
elevator. Just flying straight and level around the pattern was tremendous fun. At no time
did I feel as if I were wrestling the controls just to keep it in the air.

Sadly, I had to cut that first flight of mine short before trying the high rates since we hadn't
refueled it before I took off. I lowered the flaps, scrubbed off some of the Cap's considerable
speed on final and in she came for a glass-smooth, three-point landing, perhaps among the
best I'd ever done and possibly better than Dan's since I didn't bounce it on the mains.
Even the act of lowering the flaps had very little effect on the Cap at speed, causing little
more than a bit of upward thrust. The landing was a bit too fast since Dan had shut off the
engine by using the trim instead of the throttle cutoff and though we thought we'd corrected
it, the big Magnum .61 was still idling, well, just a bit too fast. Other than that, it was easily
one of the most enjoyable flights I'd ever experienced. I taxied back to the flight line while
resetting the throttle trim and gave the Cap the once-over. The only evidence it had flown
other than some oil and a bit of desert dust was that of foam rubber dust from the visibly
worn tires. Low-bounce rubber tires are definitely in this plane's future.

Subsequent and more relaxed flights a few days later were just as wonderful. I was more
aggressive still with the Cap; about the only weakness I found was in the vertical
performance, at least with a 12x7 prop. It was very good, but far from unlimited. I left it
nose up until it stalled and the stall was graceful and controllable. Just beautiful. If you go
with the same setup as I, you'll find that the vertical performance is nearly unlimited so
long as you don't nose it up ninety degrees.

Rolls were astonishingly graceful given how well the axial control is.

My first landing sure must have been better than average since my subsequent landings,
while very good, exhibited the same bounce from the mains that Dan experienced. In fact,
just taxiing to the runway caused the tail to bounce on the slightest bump. Once in the air,
this plane wants to fly and comes in hot even at a slow idle and with extended flaps. Result:
The slightest contact with the runway bounced the plane back in the air a good ten inches,
taking two or three bounces and most of the runway to bring it to a stop.

Aerobatics/Special Flight Performance

 Given the fact that this is a model of a fully aerobatic air show plane, it should come as no
surprise to learn that pretty much any non-3D aerobatic manuevers you care to try should
be a few flicks of the sticks away.

What was so impressive was the fact the Cap did them so well and so effortlessly. The
combination of a well-balanced airframe coupled with a high-revving, big-block two-stroke
make for some of the most enjoyable sport flying you'll ever do. All that shattered the
illusion of watching a full-scale Cap in action was the empty pilot's seat.

To recap, Dan was careful on that first flight, limiting his aerobatic manuevers to basic rolls
and loops. One thing was immediately apparent: The Magnum XLS .61A is a perfect match
for the Cap, effortlessly pulling it into huge, magnificent loops.

I was slightly more aggressive, putting the Cap through loops, victory rolls, Immelmann
turns, stall turns and inverted flight once I got a feel for the controls. All were as easily
performed as on a simulator. Although I hadn't tried anything beyond those basics on that
first flight, I can tell you that a couple of half Cubans came off without a hitch on its next
flights a few days later; I generally like to get about seven or eight flights on a model before
I really cut loose, but this inspires so much confidence I may just have to bang sticks
sooner than later. As a sport scale plane, it isn't set up nor does it seem to be intended for
3D flight, but rather scale-like aerobatics.

Control surface alignment is critical for accuracy, so be extra careful in aligning them
properly.

If you're new to aerobatics, I can think of no better way to build confidence than by flying
this model.

Is This For a Beginner?

No, since it has none of the self-righting, slow-responding and comparatively slow-flying
characteristics of a trainer. The Cap-10B is a very stable model, but everything happens
really, really fast in comparison to a trainer and it'll go exactly where you tell it to. A pilot
with little or no experience might put this model in an attitude that he or she might not be
able to recover from. The manual also assumes that one has modeling experience. An
intermediate pilot considering taking the step from simply boring holes in the sky to
learning aerobatic maneuvers will have a fun time learning them with this model. I see no
reason why this fine model couldn't be used to teach aerobatic skills to experienced pilots
via a buddy box setup.