The 2009 Weak Signals Toledo Show was held April 3rd-5th in Toledo, Ohio. This event is a hallmark of the RC industry and attracts the full range of manufacturers, distributors, and vendors from all over.
The main show floor is quite large. I’d guess it’s about four times the size of the WRAM Show in New York. There is also a substantial swap meet upstairs plus some additional vendors, and a series of lectures on Friday and Saturday.
If that’s not enough, the Electric Tournament Of Champions (ETOC) competition is held in the evenings about two miles away. Check out our coverage with over 100 photos of the competition.
Phlatboyz
Mark and Trish from Phlatboyz were showing off two versions of their low-cost foam-cutting CNC machines. The new Mark II is still being finalized, but early tests show it can cut around ten times as fast as the original. They had a huge range of planes and other objects which their machines had produced, including a full-fuselage Corsair. Their software is open source and they have an active community of users creating models and modifying the hardware.
Hobby Lobby
After taking a break from the WRAM Show this year, Hobby Lobby was back with a large booth, and seemed to be selling well. I happened to be in the booth when Jason Cole climbed up on the counter and yelled "Free Hats!" He immediately got mobbed as you might expect. He also showed me the FlyCamOne2 and mentioned that a version 3 was on the way. We’ll try to bring you a review in the coming months.
MRC
I spent some time at the MRC booth looking at the Hirobo line. They were showing the new SDX .50 size nitro heli, along with the micro electric Quark. This fixed-pitch single rotor design was almost as stable as a coaxial helicopter, which is impressive. I also looked at the 425 mm blade electric Lepton EX heli, although I didn’t care for the frame design.
Hobbico
Hobbico had one of the largest booths, as expected, and was showing a number of upcoming products. Futaba had a new 8 channel FASST receiver called the R6008HS. It is designed specifically for digital servos, and they claim it has a latency of 7 milliseconds, down from 14 ms on the current R608FS model. They also had the new GY520 gyro, which is even smaller in person than it looks in photos, and will be shipping soon.
Lastly, Futaba has listened to their customers and created the T10CHG transmitter, which integrates the 2.4 GHz radio board into the body and eliminates the module system. It also places the antenna on top, which not only looks better, it also puts the weight of the transmitter on the carrying handle when laid down. Tower Hobbies is listing these already at a $ 50 premium, which seems a bit outrageous. If anything, the integrated system should be cheaper, as it’s less flexible.
Great Planes had a new electric pattern plane called the Sequence in the booth which was very attractive. This ARF will have a MAP of $ 199. They also had a new foamie called the Silhouette, a full-fuselage Depron acrobat with an airfoil wing.
Heli-Max has three new super-micro helicopters on the way: a coax, a fixed pitch, and a collective pitch model. According to the rep they are based on Walkera designs but have been modified and styled to Hobbico’s specs. All three will be sold in ready-to-fly configurations only, with an included 2.4 GHz transmitter. Bizarrely, this system is not compatible with Futaba’s own FASST protocol, which precludes selling a receiver-ready version to existing Futaba owners.
I also spent some time looking at the X-Cell Furion 450 helicopter, made by Miniature Aircraft. The quality seemed very good, and in particular I liked the geometry of the swash servos, which all use direct links without bellcranks. The recommended power system includes a rebranded Scorpion motor and ESC, although the motor bearings have been upgraded.
Kondor Model Products (KMP)
Kondor was showing the Iconic EP, a 51" wingspan pattern plane, with a composite fuselage and built-up wing. It is 53" long, has an AUW of 4.2 pounds, and is meant for a 4S LiPo power system. It was very attractive, but I was a little concerned about the quality of the manual. They also had a large selection of warbirds in the booth.
Millennium RC
I was happy to see James and Karen again from Millennium RC. James has completed the Micro-3D, which is available now as a kit. This 22" acrobat weights less than 7 ounces ready-to-fly, and has a removable cockpit which gives access to the battery and receiver. They are currently working on producing ARF versions of the Micro-3D and the existing Micro-SS Biplane.
Aeroworks
Aeroworks added several new planes to their huge lineup. There is an Ultimate 20-300 in 50cc size, a 100cc Extra 300, and a .60-.90 size Yak 54. All three are part of the Quick Build series, which feature as much work done at the factory as possible.
Extreme Flight
The first thing I noticed when walking into the Extreme Flight booth was the enormous, 123" Extra 300. This monster is design for the Desert Aircraft 170cc gas engine. At the other end of the spectrum was the Extra 300 EXP. This 48" electric plane has an airfoil tail and replaces the current Extra. It will be available in blue and red color schemes and looked sharp.
3D Hobby Shop
3D Hobby Shop came ready to sell, with a huge stack of boxes in their booth. They were showing the new 42" AJ Slick in a yellow trim scheme. It features the same top-loading battery via the removable canopy, and plug-in wings, as the 51" version. They also had a preview of the 46" Vyper designed by Scott Stoops, an electric pattern plane due this summer.
2DogRC
The Raptor GS, distributed by 2DogRC, has opened up an entirely new category of flying. This incredibly small 3D plane can be hovered in a kitchen, and is made of EPP and carbon fiber. 2DogRC also had the smallest brushless outrunner I saw at the show, as well as Dualsky motors up to 900 watts and beyond. I also got to see the new 3-planes-in-1 Snap and Fly kit. This clever product uses a removable power pod containing the motor, ESC, battery, receiver, and servos. You just snap it into whichever plane you want to fly, and the tail servos connect to their linkages magnetically. Very cool.
FMA Direct
Following on the success of the Cellpro 4, FMA Direct recently introduced the Cellpro Multi4. It includes a backlit LCD, user-upgradeable firmware, and more. They also had a working demonstration of the upcoming CoPilot-II stabilization system. This new version can stabilize planes and helicopters, using a variety of sensors. My understanding is that it allows you to fly without interference, but if you get in trouble, you just release the sticks and let the system take over. The system will likely pay for itself in crashes avoided, particular for beginners.
Heli Wholesaler
Although Align was not present at the show themselves, Heli Wholesaler showed their range, including the new T-Rex 450 V3. It comes presented in an unusually nice box with all the parts laid out in separate compartments. They also had a number of Align scale fuselages, as well as Mavrikk blades and other products for display only.
Other Photos
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Believe it or not, that’s only half the show floor! Continue on to part two of our Toledo Show 2009 coverage.
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