Building Level

Depending which battery used

• Download the Multiplex TwinStar II User Manual (PDF File)

Who never got one of the latest Multiplex ARF Kits does not know what means ARF
We are talking here, about a pure beauty.

You have to spend time on:

1. Decorating it the way you like it, just filling up the ready made marks, with the material or color you like. Elapor is so forgiving with the type of substance used on it, that I don't know any type of painting/marker, which does not work on it.
   It is even supplied with ready made decalc, if you feel just like using them and they are gorgeous !!

2. Assembling the few different parts of the kit with the user manual which is, as usual, a work of art, made multi-lingual

And that's it !

There is really nothing much to add in this section. The User Manual is at the best. Anything above would be a video tape.

It has to be noted few excellent points, that when you are used to Multiplex very high standards, seem normal, but you just don't find this level of completeness very often.

1. The mechanism to close the Cockpit, which was already used for the EasyStar is excellent. Smart, easy to install, easy to use. Just Brilliant !!!
   
    

2. The new motor mount, which now enables you to replace motors, without suffering with ungluing them from their nacelle, is also extremely smart, yet simple to use and install
   
   (Photo by Jurgen Heilig)
   
    

3. There is this really unusual item given with the kit. It helps to connect the electric from the wing, meaning the 2 servos and the 2 motors, in 1 device, which is then connected to where it needs. This saves you the money to purchase the extra cables for the servos and makes it very organized in the cockpit. The way it is build is that you can't make a mistake with plugging the motor cables, and you just need to add a little mark to remember where to connect each servo connector. Anyone who uses this once, will want it in all his other planes !!!!
   
   Electric cables for the Wing: Servo extension, motor cables. (Photo by Jurgen Heilig)
    

4. The Decalc are gorgeous, easy to cut and install. They are not needed to re-enforce the plane structure (no need there), they are just nice, colorful and well proportionned.

For gluing, the User Manual says clearly not to use Epoxy, but only CA and Glue Gun.
I personally use, and used Epoxy on all my Elapor planes with so far, great results. Said that, most of the plane can be build using CA. I used Epoxy to lock the Motor mounts and to lock the 4 Servos. ALL the rests was glued using CA 3 seconds, which by the way was a mistake for gluing the tail parts (see the MUST DO TIPS below for details). Note that if you intend to use CA with accelerator, the reaction creates a strong heat, which can sometimes melt the foam, or painting.

For the Servos, make sure to select some that fit well into the wing. HS-81 or GWS Naro Pro are fine.

TIPS

MUST DO:

• Add tape below the fuselage to protect the material on landings

• Check the battery compartment, with all your batteries, and eventually enlarge what needs to be, BEFORE you glue the 2 pieces of the fuselage together

• For gluing the 2 parts of the tail, use at least a 60 sec CA, as you want to position them well, before the glue acts.

• Add some CA to lock the screws, on the horns

Nice to do:

• Increase a little the space, in the cockpit, in the back, where the battery would be stopped. This in order to be able to use 8x3300 or 8x3600 Nimh battery and still be able to have the CG a little backward. Not doing this will still be fine but then, the CG will be very slightly forward.

• For the motors, they come brushed and many people will want, sooner or later to replace these these eventually brushless.
  So... Either prepare already a 3rd cable, not used while you fly with the brushed motor OR ensure that the part you glue would be able to be easily removed/unglued later, in order to replace the motor cable for brushless setups.

• Add some transparent tape or some type of protection, where the wing touches the ground, which happens on landings at some point.

Special Thanks to Jurgen Heilig for giving me the permission to use some of his photos, for this review.

All kits parts (Photo by Jurgen Heilig)

All kits parts - Accessories (Photo by Jurgen Heilig)

Furnished motor Mount and motor - (Photo by Jurgen Heilig)
 

Part used to lock the wing - (Photo by Jurgen Heilig)

Another innovation, parts to assemble which will receive the screw to hold the wing - (Photo by Jurgen Heilig)

Sanding all the plane is done very easily and quickly. Just apply the sanding paper all around the plane, not just on the marks, in a circle manner, until the entire surface becomes smooth

Very nice and easy to select a good color, as the White Elapor opens all options

Then decoration is just a piece of cake. using the pre-made windows and parts

Main Paint used for decorating this plane.

Stone used in the front (inside the plane), to balance the CG if "2S 1.8A" used

This shape won't enter the battery space in the TwinStar 2

In general, all Sub-C, in a flat shape, will enter. 3S or 2S lipoly as well.

If used alone, the 2S 1.8A will need an additional weight + needs to increase the space inside the Cockpit in order to be able to push it all the way to the front. The 8x3300 Nimh enters fine, but you may want to increase the space in the back. See picture below.

You could increase the space here, to provide a little more freedom to balance 8x3600 Nimh batteries or equivalent. Then, you could move the hole for the antenna just a little behind.
See also where the cockpit locks on the left, and then how everything is tied and clean (Photo by Jurgen Heilig)

How the 3S2P 5.2Amp batteries are placed, to balance the CG

The Flight path is very clean, you can do many maneuvers like:

And all using the standard setup, meaning 2 Permax 400, 6V.

The Stall behavior was not tested fully yet, but the few tests done were fine.

The plane, can be flown, without using the ailerons. Just the elevator and rudder. It then behaves like any 3 channel plane.

Now, after few other test flights this morning, I decided to add flaps and test it.
Regular stuff, Checklist before flight, all fine.

Then, landed and decided to add mixing on the elevator, with the flaps.
Tested the mixing, all fine BUT I forgot that the mixing disabled the Elevator control completely... Only the mixing worked....


So, I throw the plane... Climbs, with the motors, as usual... do a flat turn, fine... Opens the flaps.... and I try to compensate with the elevator... NO elevator responses....

Plane went down right after this.... 80 degrees crash, nose down...


CRAHS Results:
- 1 Prop broken. Need to replace
- Nose open and a little bended. Will apply the Elapor Soup on it
- The 2 pieces that help to lock the cockpit went out of their place. Need to glue back
- Elevator horn went out of its place. Need to glue back

The Motor mount and motor area did not suffer at all. That is also very unusual !!!


The fact that 2S 1.8 Amp was used certainly helped but still, speak about an amazing plane resistance.

By the way, the wing automatically left it's place, and therefore avoided to break anything.
IF it was a 1 piece wing, it would have broken the structure.

I can only insist on this, LEAVE the wings in 2 pieces. In cases of crashes, it makes THE difference !!!!!


Last point, this plane build behaved EXTREMELY well during the crash, like all the crash impacts were disseminated all around in order than nothing special really broke.

For the wing, this was the most surprising thing !!!

The platic holders actually let the wing leave them. I think the nylon screws also helped here but still.

Each wing advanced to the front, leaving its place, and since the wings are in 2 parts, they were able to move forward, WITHOUT breaking the structure, just advancing around the screw.

You have to crash your plane to believe it !!!! JUST AMAZING !!!

Prop broken, needs to remove the prop adapter and out a new prop set

Elevator Horn out, needs to glue it back
 

Nose bended a little - Apply hot water to put it back

Front nose open, glue it back

Cockpit lock system out, needs to be glued back

Plane look, after a vertical crash, at high speed... Amazing, no ?

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