AT A GLANCE
Model Name: Savage Shock Cub
Manufacturer: Seagull Models
Distributor: Legend Hobby (legendhobby.com)
Wingspan: 102 in.
Pilot Skill: Intermediate
Assembly Time: 20 hours
Radio Req'd: 7-channel
Power Req'd: 35-55cc gas or electric equivalent on 12 cells
Price: $749.95
Seagull Models has decided to throw their hat in the Cub appreciation ring with this 102-inch-span RC Savage Shock Cub designed for 35cc to 55cc gas engines or electric equivalents. Available in two color options, silver and black or yellow and black, this all-balsa and plywood airplane features many of the same amenities as its full size-counterpart: leading-edge slots, shock-absorbing landing gear, and even load-bearing wing and tail bracings. Add to that a semi-complete interior with functional side door and you have a surprisingly detailed ARF model.
UNIQUE FEATURES
The kit includes re-usable bubble protection bags for the wings. Each wing panel is quite big, so this is a significant freebie. Ailerons and flap control surfaces are pre-installed and their hinges already glued where needed.
The fuselage is light and well built with the cockpit interior painted black at the factory. On the right side of the fuselage is a large door hinged to lift up; it’s held in place via a few strong magnets. A small friction keeper pin is mounted to the right-wing and is used to hold the door open by holding on to the door handle. Inside, the fuselage floor has servo cutouts for tail controls, throttle, and optional choke servo. Of particular note is the wonderfully machined aluminum tail wheel assembly, which has a ball-bearing pivot and metal leaf-spring suspension.
The telescoping undercarriage struts are very effective. Spring tension seems a bit stiff when played with by hand, but once the full weight of the model applied, the tension seems just about perfect for absorbing hard landings and rough surfaces. Lots of hardware is included, such as control rods, fuel tank, inflatable tundra wheels, and the like. Even mounting hardware for both gas and electric powerplants is included. There is also a nice slide-in battery tray for electric-powered setups.
I couldn't help but think that the large wings are an aerodynamicist’s dream: recessed hinged ailerons, offset hinged flaps, and movable leading-edge slots. These slots, which help redirect air over the wing at slow speeds and high angles of attack, don't move in and out but rather pivot on an angle while linked to the flaps. A double linkage to the flap servo simultaneously controls both flaps and slots.
The power setup I chose to use was the new RCGF Stinger 40cc twin cylinder gasoline engine. I've run RCGF engines in the past and have found them powerful and very reliable. This would be my first twin cylinder from them. Fortunately, the engine fit in the fiberglass cowl with some room to spare. While the kit comes with a nice plastic spinner with metal backplate, it was just a bit too small to work with the 20-inch wood prop, so I elected to use a 3.25-inch Tru-Turn aluminum spinner pre-drilled with the engine's four bolt pattern. I used Spektrum A6380 high-voltage digital servos throughout the model.
IN THE AIR
Continue reading your story on the app
Continue reading your story in the magazine
Legend Hobby / Seagull Models - Cessna Grand Caravan 208
The Cessna Grand Caravan 208 is a legend in aviation circles. A single engine utility aircraft that punches up with capabilities that rival many twin engine aircraft in its class. Its seemingly simple configuration belies its near extreme utility.
PROPER CG LOCATION FOR AEROBATICS
If you are getting into aerobatics and are starting to perform more advanced maneuvers, it is time to discuss ways you can not only become a better pilot, but how you can also improve the flight characteristics of your airplanes.
Legend Hobby 13-Foot L-19 Bird Dog/ Cessna O-1
This famous multi-mission single engine observation aircraft served from 1950-1974. From calling out target locations to providing intel/recon information, the Bird Dog was a valued asset in both the Korean War and Vietnam.
EARN YOUR WINGS
10 Tips for First-Flight Success
Old School Model Works Fifty Six
The Fifty Six takes its design cues from the original .09- to .15-size Carl Goldberg Falcon 56 of the 1960s. Reworked to incorporate modern, lasercut techniques to make kit building better than ever.
FLYING TWINS Multi-engine warbirds made easy
Let’s face it, there’s just something extra special about twin-engine RC aircraft. Most modelers stop what they’re doing when a twin fires up on the flightline.
HOW TO BALANCE PROPELLERS
Four easy steps to increase performance and reduce vibration
PRODUCT REVIEW: RC PLANE STANDS BENCHTOP MODEL
I’m a sucker for shop stuff. I buy tools I will probably never use just because they are cool, or I might need to use them someday. When Glen from RC Plane Stands reached out about a review, however, I knew as soon as I browsed their website that I would be receiving something I would use a lot, maybe even daily.
SPIRIT OF RHINEBECK AWARD WINNER
A close up of Norman Malinowski’s 1/3-scale Albatros
CENTER OF GRAVITY BASICS
The secret to a plane that flies well
DRONE TOOLS Safely using autonomous flight modes
In the early days of aviation, as aircraft range and endurance increased, so did the fatigue experienced by pilots. Autopilots were invented in 1912, guiding aircraft to fly straight and level on a compass course and greatly reducing a pilot’s workload. For more than a century, autopilots have improved many aspects of aviation safety, but they have also created new problems.
HAPPINESS: COULD IT BE THIS EASY?
Ultimately, for every person, happiness is the path and Love is the destination.—Dale Jukes
THE TWO FACES OF THE IH TD-6 CRAWLER
The 1950s was the last decade in which the small crawler was a player in the agricultural tillage game. To that time, crawlers (A.K.A. tracklayers) offered farmers a lot of drawbar power in a small and economical package.
Project Six: The big project - Drive-by shooting
James Paterson shows you how to shoot portraits in a car, safely, with beautiful blurred motion
50 ways to...Shoot spring!
GET OUT AND ABOUT WITH YOUR CAMERA WITH ROSS HODDINOTT’S 50 HAND-PICKED TIPS TO SHOOT THE MOST COLOURFUL OF SEASONS…
ROAD BERKS
TARQUINS WALK INTO M25 TRAFFIC
Shoo fly, don't bother me
Houseflies carry cholera and anthrax, have been used as military weapons and are generally irritating, laments Ian Morton–but do they hold the secret to eternal youth?
Build A Better Score
What you can learn from Eddie Pepperell’s strategy and thought process on the course