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So, my ego was wrong. I couldn't just get up, walk away from major cancer surgery and return to the flying field. But, while I am grounded we are going to build a fantastic plane and generate a ton of How-To content and reviews along the way. Stay tuned! Tom Hintz photo

The “Best Medicine” Project

I get grounded, you get content

Text and photo by Tom Hintz

Posted – 4-21-2017

Over the last several months I have been through cancer-busting chemo and radiation treatments followed by a major surgery to get the remaining bad stuff out. That combination of treatments left my body disenchanted with exertion which I discovered when I wound up back in the hospital for a couple days to fight blood clots that had launched a covert attack on legs, lungs and heart just a couple days after being released from the hospital. Everybody but me saw this as problematic.

The result of all this is my doctors (and wife) have grounded me for one to three months while my body heals from the surgery and blood thinners prevent blood clots. I needed to come up with a project that will keep me occupied at home during this period plus I need fresh content for my site so the Best Medicine Project was born to serve both masters.

What It Is

I keep a running list of questions I get from Flyingrc.net. Not surprisingly many of you want to know more about the basics of putting a solid RC plane together and maintaining that condition. Over the years, I had unintentionally left a 35cc engine review out of my content list so we are going to build a 35cc-rated plane. Along the way, I will review new (to my site) components but more importantly I will produce individual How-To’s on virtually all the steps and procedures I have found to be effective when building todays’ RC gasser aircraft.

After more than a decade of doing how-to web sites it has become clear that it is virtually impossible to be too basic with this kind of content as we will always have a flow of new converts to the RC life with basic questions. It is also clear that veteran RC folk can also learn something from these basic How-To’s in the way of techniques they may not have seen before. RC flying is one of those endeavors that bites you square on the butt when you think you have learned it all.

The Plane

The Flex Innovatioons QQ YAK 54 35CC ARF. VERY cool plane! Flex Innovations photo

The subject of the Best Medicine Project will be a new plane from Flex Innovations, the company headed up by Quique Somenzini, one of the most respected names in the RC world. I will be building the QQ YAK 54 35CC ARF with a 76”-wingspan and a full load of innovative aerodynamic engineering all aimed at improving performance throughout the huge flight envelope.

The QQ YAK 54 35CC ARF will be powered by a DA35cc engine which will fill that unintentional void in my engine review lineup. I will be installing all the recommended Flex Innovations servos and their AURA 8 AFCS – Open Stock control system.

Part of why I like the QQ YAK 54 35CC ARF for the Best Medicine Project is that despite being one of the most advanced airframes on the market the techniques used to assemble it remain very commonplace in RC flying. There is a lot of content to be gained from the Best Medicine Project and the QQ YAK 54 35CC ARF makes it just that much more enjoyable to do.

You Can Guide the Best Medicine Project

FlyingRC.net has always been about the viewers so while I have decided on the basics of the Best Medicine Project I remain very interested in your thoughts and questions that just might become part of this effort. RC flying is a huge hobby that insures your question is probably on the minds of lots of other RC fliers. By offering your thoughts and questions you can help them and me to make this project more effective than I can myself.

Stay tuned. The Best Medicine Project will begin shortly. If the flow of content remains essentially uninterrupted you know that I am heeding the advice of my doctors (and demands of my wife) to remain on the physical exertion sidelines during my recovery. Your participation will make the Best Medicine Project and my recovery better.

Related Content

Flex Innovations QQ YAK 54 35CC ARF Unboxing

Hinging Control Surfaces

Installing a Pull-Pull System

Installing Servos

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