About ScaleMaster
About ScaleMaster
All in all the ScaleMaster has taken 12 years to become a reality from concept through testing and production. It started out as a GS, now JR, Products 3 line handle with an add-on, hand carved box, that housed some toggle switches and lever and a Servo Driver was used to send the signal. This was fine and variations of it are being used now, by some flyers. However, I found that the Servo Driver did not offer very many channels and there were no provisions for adjustments, that you could make, such as End Point Adjustment, Servo Reversing, Dual Rate or Servo Matching. Also, with the GS, I was still dragging 3 lines around the circle, in addition to the added weight, in the plane, for the servos and battery. The ScaleMaster of today is a 2 line system, thereby eliminating the extra drag of the 3rd line and it has all of the adjustment options.
Attaching brackets to a Stunt Handle that houses a Servo Driver, is also being used. This eliminates the 3rd line, but still offers few channels and almost no options for programming. However, an excellent example of this adaptaion is the Bill Young Electronics handle (shown below). You can get up to 4 channels in his handle, with the drawbacks being, all of the circuitry is exposed to the elements ie; fuel, dust, dirt and moisture and the contacts and leads are exposed and switch placement takes some getting used to. On the other hand, Bill's craftsmanship is excellent and the unit is very sturdy. Keep in mind that the Bill Young Handle does not have power monitoring or a back-up battery supply. His handle, as I understand it, start at about $150.00.....
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| The Bill Young
Handle are the 2 photos to the left. The ScaleMaster Prototype are the 2 photos to the right. The Final Production Version of the Handle is on the main page of this site. |
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The first Prototype (of the current configuration ScaleMaster) was carved from wood and had a Futaba 4 channel Encoder Board. The Final Prototype, for production, was also hand carved from wood and has a 7 Channel Encoder Board, specifically designed for the handle by Bob Young of SilverTone Electronics, Australia. The Power Meter is also new and being manufactured by Triplet Corporation, just for us, to our specifications. The Battery Compartment, in the hand grip has been enclosed and we changed the color to Gray, to be less heat absorbent, and protective Skids have been added to elevate the handle off the ground.
Why so Expensive?
As you know Circuit Design and Etched PCBs are expensive and ours are imported, as well. Molding the handle is also quite costly. Each handle is individually cast out of solid polymers and resins, for strength and durability, and are Custom Cast on a Per Order basis. All of the components and mounts, inside the handle are also molded and cast specifically for us. There are very few parts in the handle that are "off the shelf" purchase. Even the Anchor Bar, and Throttle Stick are machined for us. When you put the 2 units, side by side, and consider that the ScaleMaster has 3 more channels with options and is a fully enclosed unit and has power monitoring and back-up power..the price in comparison, to the Bill Young Handle, is not that costly.
Also, when you consider that a 7 Channel RC radio, that you would hang from your belt, and attach with an Instructor's patch cord, to the handle, costs anywhere from $400 to $700 dollars, or more, the ScaleMaster price is very reasonable. Besides, the ScaleMaster is specifically designed for Control Line while RC equipment is not. Belt carried RC Radios force the pilot to fly with one hand and operate options with the other. I have never thought that this was a safe thing to do. But even the RC Radios do not have a back up battery source. The advantage, I suppose, is that you can program several airplanes into the same radio. With the ScaleMaster all you need is a 2nd Decoder. The same handle will fly all of your planes with very little re-adjusting.
We understand that it is, most likely, the true and dedicated scale builder and competition aviator that would have an interest or need for the ScaleMaster. Novice builder/pilots may find it complicated and the RC kit planes too hard to build. It is our hope to provide something to look forward to and aspire to, as building and flying skills improve.
The boundaries of model airplanes has been expanded by the introduction of the ScaleMaster and it is our hope that it may generate more participation throughout the model aircraft hobby industry. The RC kits available are numerous and currently many of the functions of these kits are "locked down" (not operable) because of the complicated linkages that would have to be used. So builder/pilots have to settle for less options. You don't have to settle any more, with the use of a ScaleMaster handle.
ScaleMaster Pilots will be leading the field with First
Place Flights
for many years to come.