The NCFM Halfpipe

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48" High Speed Sloper with Excellent Vertical Performance!

NCFM set out to create a design that was a little easier to build than the Moth or M60 without a sacrifice in speed energy or spiral stability. They decided to go "fuseless" which meant sweeping the wing back ever so subtly just to the point where balance could be achieved with an acceptable amount of nose-weight. After much experimentation with alternate planforms and fin positioning... the new Halfpipe was born!

Having access to various Moths and M60s as a comparison our first words were: "hmmm...HMMMM... DANG!! This thing is NOT slow!!". As an honest comparison we would say that in most conditions the Halfpipe is extremely comparable to the Moth in speed and energy where cleanliness of build wing loading and pilot skills may be the difference.

Not having a fuselage the HP also tends to be very efficient both horizontally and vertically. Even at our "little beach" in Carlsbad we were achieving excellent height on halfpipes... thus it's namesake. Two other aspects we were very pleased with were it's excellent thermal capabilities and superb spiral stability (versus the original prototypes...1 2). Light lift performance is also very good (new video here) though the primary goal of the HP was for high speed carving great energy retention and simply an overall cleanliness of flight that is always foremost in any NCFM design. As of this writing NCFM have yet to have the chance to DS it but that is next on the list and they feel it should perform very well. (Update: On 3/24/05 we finally had a chance to DS this thing in fair to average conditions and it was extremely fun quite fast and very stable for a 48" plane... no complaints whatsoever).

The kit quality is something they strive very hard to keep top-notch: balsa elevon material that is straight and weight-matched to within a few grams; precision-cut and "de-slagged" wing cores carbon spars solid carbon fin boom pre-angled zinc plated steel spar joiner pre-cored nose chamber for the included lead balance weight.

Click Here for Notes on Ballasting

NEW: NCFM In-Shop Photo Build and Techniques (6/17/05 Entry)

RcGroups Photo Build-Thread links (3/9/05 Entry)

Note: As with all of our aircraft the Halfpipe is not really intended as a "First Airplane". Not having a fuselage it is a tad easier to build than the Moth or M60 yet still requires an element of precision in the building and trimming process. Your transmitter must also have Elevon Mixing with End-Point and/or Dual Rate adjustments. Given the thinness of the airfoil you will need a relatively low-profile receiver i.e. Berg Hitec 555 etc. and end-plugs (vs. top-mount) are even better.

Flight:
o	Exceptional speed & energy retention
o	Excellent spiral stability
o	Crisp turns
o	Endless inverted flight
o	Wide speed range
o	Serious thermal & light-lift performance
o	Very responsive
o	Extremely Durable

Kit Includes:
o	Carbon wing spars Pre-angled steel/zinc joiner
o	Precision-cut & cleaned 1.9lb EPP foam wing
o	Pre-cored lead balance weight included
o	Solid carbon fin boom
o	Basswood drag spars
o	Quality weight matched balsa elevon material
o	All control horns and linkages
o	Comprehensive manual with detailed graphics

Span: 48"
Wing Area: 432 Sq. In.
Averagel Unballasted Flying Weight: 24-25 Ounces

Transmitter Requirements:
Elevon Mixing with End-Point Adjust and/or Dual Rates
Receiver: Hitec Micro 555 or smaller.
Servos: (2) HS-85MG / similar size.
Battery: 350mAh Nicard or similar size.