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
IT'S ALL IN THE DETAILS
2020 TOP GUN SCALE INVITATIONAL
TOP GUN SCALE INVITATIONAL
THE 32ND YEAR OF EXCELLENCE!
THE COMPETITION CONTINUES
Every spring, Frank Tiano’s Top Gun Scale Invitational has heralded the beginning of the flying season, offering builders an opportunity to show off their projects in Lakeland, Florida after a winter spent finishing them in their workshops.
BUILDING BENCH & WORKSHOP TIPS
I have built countless RC models, from kits, plans and even my own scratch designs.
TOP GUN FAVORITE MARK CHAPMAN'S 1/3-SCALE ALBATROS D.VA
When I told Model Airplane News executive editor Debra Cleghorn that I was attending the Top Gun Scale Invitational for the first time, she asked me if I would interview the pilot of one of my favorite planes at the event. As a WW I fan (and a Balsa USA builder), I chose Mark Chapman’s beautifully detailed 1/3-scale Balsa USA Albatros D.Va, flown by Marvin Alvarez in Team Scale.
HEAVY-DUTY SCALE FLAPS
FUNCTIONAL CONTROL SURFACES WITH ADDED DETAIL
SEAGULL MODELS/LEGEND HOBBY SAVAGE SHOCK CUB
A short takeoff and landing wonder!
GETTING STARTED IN FPV
BetaFPV makes getting a bird’s-eye-view easier than ever!
AILERON/RUDDER MIXING EXPLAINED
Build good habits now and fly better tomorrow
BRITTEN-NORMAN - DEFENDER 2000
An electric-powered Islander on steroids
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.
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