bubbles and wrinkles in the covering. My
iron and heat gun easily retightened things
and I was good to go. Four servos are
installed in the wing for the flaps and
ailerons, and you’ll need 4 12-inch extensions to make them reach your receiver,
which is located within the fuselage. CA
hinges are already in place and will need to
be glued in, as will the plastic control horns.
Included wire rods will complete these linkages. The motor firewalls are left loose from
the factory in the event you want to go
glow. I had a pair of KMS outrunners, and
I’m one who really appreciates the convenience of an electric setup. First, glue the
firewalls in place, add the included 45
degree stock to reinforce the rears of these
mounts and secure with some CA glue.
Included blind nuts will be used to keep the
motors secured, and a little drilling will
have them fitting in no time. Plenty of
room is available above the motor areas for
your ESCs, and the painted fiberglass cowls
and nacelles will conceal them and allow
airflow for cooling. The main retracts are
simply screwed into place and their linkages are comprised of metal rods and
bellcranks. You’ll need to cut out the lower
nacelles to allow for the landing gear clearance. I made this a painless step with my
CONTROL THROWS
ELEVATOR:
AILERON:
RUDDER:
GEAR USED
RADIO: Airtronics RDS 8000, RDS8000
FHS receiver, 7 Airtronics 94091Z servos
( airtronics.net), 1 Cirrus CS503R/BB
(retracts); globalhobby.net
MOTOR: 2 KMS 2814/06 outrunners
( hobbypeople.net),
ESCS: 2 Thunderbird 54 ESCs
( castlecreations.com),
PROPS: 2 Master Airscrew 9x6 props
( masterairscrew.com)
BATTERY: Impulse 3S 4800mAh LiPo
( globalhobby.net)
In the Air
Test flights of the BH Model B-25J were performed in a remote
location out in the desert. The surface of this area is hard-packed
and smooth, which allowed for very easy taxiing and rollouts.
There’s no doubt that the plane could easily take off and fly from
a grass field, just so long as the foliage is not too tall. I observed
the model’s ground handling to be sharp and precise. As I
advanced the throttles, the motors began their duet and the
airplane was up to take off speed in about three seconds. I
allowed the plane to roll for a second or two more and began to
give a slight pull on the elevator. The result was a perfectly
smooth and stable rotation and the plane climbed out with
authority. The B- 25 gets up to altitude in minimal time and with
minimal effort. When my first fun flight was coming to an end, I
began my approach. Bleeding off some airspeed, it’s best to
allow the model to settle in on its own, maintaining a very slight
nose-down attitude. When it touches down, it does so softly and
then rolls for some 50 or so feet before coming to rest.
GENERAL FLIGHT PERFORMANCE
Stability The center of gravity was very close, maybe 5mm from
the recommended point outlined in the instruction manual. With
this, the B- 25 was very stable on the runway, in the air and
extremely comfortable to fly.
Tracking This plane tracks straight and true and after just one
pass and some down-elevator trim, I had it flying hands-off.
Aerobatics High rates made for some fairly tight loops, and the
rolls were mostly axial and rotated quickly. Split-S maneuvers were
easy to execute and inverted flight was performed effortlessly.
Glide and stall performance With power off, and while pulling on
the elevator, the plane will mush forward and eventually want to
drop a wing. The glide path is very predictable and even though
landings aren’t my strongest point, I was able to land the B- 25
easily due to the fact that this plane will coast along so smoothly.
PILOT DEBRIEFING
BH Model has definitely done their homework and the result is a
very cost-effective, great looking and wonderful flying twin warbird.
This plane commanded a lot of attention at the field and rightfully
so; it’s a twin win!
