The 2009 AMA Convention in Ontario, CA
Posted on January 15, 2009 by aaronredbaron
January 9-11, 2009, Ontario, California- Early in the new year, hobbyists from around the country gather in sunny southern California for the annual AMA (Acadamy of Model Aeronautics) Convention. Manufacturers, distributors, and dealers come to show their product lines and newest offerings. Many local clubs represent their memberships with booths, and a wide variety of models is put on static display. There is even an indoor flying demonstration area where the hottest new electric airplanes and helicopters get put through their paces. With a wide variety of interesting products to see and people to talk to, this event is jam packed with information. I did my best to include some of the highlights of the show, my apologizes if I missed something, there was so much to see! I drove 1000 miles from Portland, Oregon to Ontario, California (outside of LA) to cover this event for you the reader, so enjoy!
New Products
Hoffman Magnetics Inc.
This company is taking the electric RC world by storm with their patented brushless motor technology. Known in the Commericial, Military/Aerospace, and Medical manufacturing for their state-of-art DC Brushed, DC Brushless, servo, and linear electrical motors, Hoffman Magnetics is injecting fresh ideas into conventional wisdom about brushless motors. Using patented winding machines, this southern California company has developed a new stator design for brushless motors which they were able to patent that allows airflow directly through the windings. Many of their motors were high kV outrunner designs with efficiency up around 90%. Watch for lots of interesting new products from well grounded motor company.
Castle Creations
Taking the leap from being a speed control manufacturer to including brushless motors in their lineup, Castle Creations is now the distributor for Neu Motors as well as their own line of outrunners. Castle was also showing off their new lineup of ICE speed controls.
Xtreme Power Systems
Originally just offering module and receiver systems 2 short years ago, this company has grown by leaps and bounds! They are now the US importer for Graupner Products. The European based Graupner is one of the biggest hobby companies in the world, but the US market has had limited access to its product lines. XPS was proud to show off a Production version of a Graupner/JR radio which has native XPS 2.4 gHz technology. These 8 channel radios have completely different software and 2.4 gHz technology than the similar looking JR/Spectrum DX 7. The radio should be available soon for under $300 with an 8 channel receiver. In addition, XPS has sensor systems that daisy chain together onto your receiver and transmit the information live back to a special receiver on the ground or your laptop. Watch for lots of cool new products from this emerging market player.
Century Helicopters
There must never be a dull moment at Century helicopters, as evidenced by the fleet of new models at their booth. Featuring two new gasser additions to the the Predetor lineup, and two new versions of the electric Swift, Century is working hard to update the breed. The monstrous all new G 1000 gasser comes in at 15 pounds and is designed to handle up to 1000mm blades, it features locations right on the frame to support a camera mount. The new 20 SL gasser uses a Zenoah 20cc engine with electronic ignition. It may be the smallest gasser on the market when it comes out; it uses 600-690 blades and weighs in just over 9 pounds.
Gyro Hobbies
Along with the normal product lineup most hobby shops might carry, Gyro hobbies is bringing in the British made Blitz Avro, which is an interesting helicopter boasting many innovative features. Among them are a rubber isolated gyro mount, a belt drive main transmission, and bearing supported servo supports to eliminate slop. The Avro is extremely high quality with a high parts count, justifying its nearly $1500 price tage for those who demand European precision in their helicopters.
Airtronics
Nearly ready for production is the much anticipated SD-10G computer radio with 2.4 gHz. Airtronics was an early leader in computer radios, and the release of the feature rich SD-10G makes them a contender in the mid to high end radio market. Priced at only $500 dollars, Airtronics is hoping to release the new radio at the Toledo trade show in April
Horizon Hobby
Horizon was on hand with a huge display. They were showing off all the gadgets from the Spektrum and JR lineup, including the new HV8717 servo which is rated to handle higher voltage, and a wide variety of receiver systems that continue to support the proliferation of Spektrum use across the US. Also on display was the new Blade CX-3, which is built to look like the MD 500 Notar. Horizon also had the new JR Vibe SG, and the JR 500 E, but no information was available on either model.
Ace Hobby
Ace was excited to show off the two versions of the Innovator to a customer base that is craving new helicopters. Gearing up for release any time now, the Innovator is totally unique in its design; in a nutshell the helicopter does all the setup automatically, allowing the pilot to truly just worry about flying. A beginner version carries a scale body of the MD 530 for better visibility, and the EXP version is capable of all the aggressive aerobatics to satisfy intermediate to expert pilots. Ace was also showing off all their scale helicopters, new painted canopies for the Raptor 50 and Redline engines. The Redline .53 is proving popular, and the 1.06 is being testing in prototype stages.
Dymond Modelsport LTD
Always known for bringing unique products to the US, San Diego based Dymond Modelsport put out a simple new product that simplified LiPo safety. The Li-Protector is a pocket or jacket for a lithium battery. Its weight is negligible, but the safety increase is huge. In a worst case scenario, if your battery catches fire, the Li-Protector will contain the flames and vent out the smoke.
Pure-Tech Products
Specializing in custom straps for batteries, Pure-Tech was showing off their new Xtreme Neck Strap. The new neck strap features a heavy duty swivel clip and a Neoprene rubber neck padding to maximize comfort. The neckstrap feels surprisingly different than a conventional narrow neck strap, and definitely maximizes comfort.
Great Planes
Getting a peak at the new Futaba GY 520 was the top of the list. The new Gyro is still not expected to arrive until sometime in the spring, perhaps march, but the wait should be worth it. Futaba has consistently been at the forefront of gyro technology, and this newest offering should continue the heritage. The new gyro is half the size of their popular GY 401, but offers more features through a PC link than the high end GY 611. With a size small enough to work on the tiniest helicopters but performance to suit their big brothers, this gyro should be a hot seller! The price is set at $200 for the gyro with an additional cost for the computer link.
JMD Models
Although Jack Dunkle did not have a booth, he was showing off his fleet of immaculate scale helicopters, which I will wrap up this article with, until next time, Happy landings! And yes, there is a tiny screen in the cockpit of Jack’s Blue Thunder playing the movie.
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