Zagi 400-X

This aircraft uses the same general airframe layout as the Zagi 3C. This is a flying-wing design, made of EPS with a bonded EPP leading edge. Light weight with durability where it is most needed. The raw foam is strengthened with glass-reinforced strapping tape and covered with coloured packing tape. A single, span-wise carbon-fibre spar embedded in the bottom surface of the wing gives maximum stiffness.

Mid-wing on the upper surface of the wing, sits a black, styrene motor pod/canopy and 'pusher' prop. The prop is spun by a Speed-400 type motor — essentially disposable.

Juice comes from an eight-cell pack of Sanyo Cadnica batteries. Either KR-1400AE or KR-1700AE capacity. (I have achieved a 25-minute flight on a 1,400 mAh pack, with moderate throttle use.)

Motor control is via an Aveox-15 ESC with BEC.

This aircraft carries an FMA eXtreme 5 reciever, powered by the Battery Eliminator Circuit on the Aveox Electronic Speed Control. Surfaces are moved by a pair of Hitec/RCD HS-81 servos

It looks as good in the air as it does on the ground!

I like assymetrical colour schemes, and tend to favour the left wing. I wanted a lot of red to make it easy to see should it crash into tall grass. With the red, white and blue packing tape I had, I decided to colour the underside of the wing with a flag. Given it's Californian origin, a Star Spangled Banner would have probably been more appropriate, but I just couldn't bear the thought of cutting out all those stars! So I tried the Union Jack and I'm very pleased with the results.

I am a lousey pilot, but I am having a load of fun with this aircraft, whizzing around the field and making left- and right-handed circuits, figures of eight, etc, etc. It doesn't have a great deal of vertical performance but it is definately a bit snappier with the slightly lighter 1,400 mAh cell-pack.

My flight instructor (for the Kadet) seems to think that I am learning quite quickly, and I attribute this to the time spent flying the 400-X and the 3C "solo".

There is only one problem I can see with this aircraft. The original design calls for the Rx to be embedded in the foam of the wing in front of the cell-pack. This located the Rx as far as possible away from the noisy ESC and motor.

That's all well and good, but if you land hard, that heavy battery pack becomes a battering-ram! After a few "abrupt arrivals" and my eXtreme 5 is looking very battered. I'm going to have to relocate it, and that means putting it closer to the noisy ESC and motor...

Rock and hard-place.