After a three-week break filled with travel, exhaustion, and RC adventures, Joshua Orchard and Brian Schiller return for another lively episode of MasterClass Season 2. This session blends event highlights, build progress, adhesive best practices, battery chemistry insights, and plenty of DU-BRO product recommendations to help builders elevate every phase of their projects.
Checking In With the Community & SEFF Highlights
The class opens with a warm welcome and a request for viewers to share their location—an ongoing MasterClass tradition tied to model giveaways and trivia prizes. Fans tune in from across the globe, including Denmark, Orange County, South Dakota, Pittsburgh, Ohio, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas.
Joshua then recaps his trip to the Southeastern Electric Flight Festival (SEFF) in Americus, Georgia. With its fantastic field, night-flying “Ring of Fire,” and major sponsors like Horizon Hobby, Extreme Flight, and Flex Innovations, SEFF offered the perfect environment to showcase his completed Saab and B25 models. The Saab performed beautifully until a retract smoked due to wet grass, while the B25 needed new DU-BRO wheels after the original tires slipped off the rims.
For builders needing reliable replacements, the DU-BRO RC Wheels are a modeler favorite:
Minuet Progress, Intricate Add-Ons & Build Planning
Brian admits that progress on his Minuet slowed due to Josh’s SEFF prep frenzy, but he shares a charming teaser—a small, non-functional detail piece created by his friend Tom. He also discusses upcoming tasks like completing the pull-pull lines and sealing up the wings.
Josh emphasizes the importance of gathering all required components before committing to glue—something many first-time builders overlook. To keep tiny hardware organized during this prep phase.
Adhesive Deep Dive: Epoxy vs. CA & the “Weight Penalty”
A key discussion centers on gluing tail surfaces. Josh prefers epoxy despite the extra cure time because it ensures perfect alignment and long-term security. He also explains the weight-penalty concept: excess weight in the tail must be counterbalanced in the nose, making lightweight construction critical.
Brian, navigating his first balsa build, shares frustrations about managing thin CA glue—getting it on his fingers, breaking fragile parts, and overapplying. Josh advises:
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Less is more
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Dry-fit everything first
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Let CA wick into the joint naturally
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Use paper towels to remove excess
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Sand over CA-reinforced joints for strength
For builders wanting cleaner control-surface operation after gluing, DU-BRO Nylon Pin Hinges are a durable upgrade:
Battery Chemistry, Receiver Power & Avoiding Brownouts
A trivia question about nominal cell voltages segues into a helpful discussion:
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LiPo: 3.7V
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NiMH: 1.2V
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LiFe: 3.2–3.3V
Rusty suggests using 6V NiMH or LiFe receiver packs to avoid brownouts. Josh explains that servo torque, response speed, and reliability depend heavily on stable current delivery—not just voltage.
For building clean power routes inside the fuselage, this helps tame battery leads, servo wires, and switch harnesses:
Josh also recommends that newer pilots lean on club mentors when selecting power systems for glow, electric, or FPV applications.
Creative Freedom in Paint Schemes & Next Build Steps
Brian asks whether deviating from scale paint schemes is frowned upon. The community unanimously responds: your model is your canvas. Whether traditional or wildly creative, design choices should reflect the builder’s personality.
As Brian prepares to finalize the stab, move into fuselage work, and order electronics, Josh reminds viewers that proper pull-pull systems benefit from high-quality hardware like DU-BRO Ball Links for slop-free control:
Finally, a giveaway question asks how long DU-BRO has been in business. The answer: 65 years—a testament to their impact on the RC hobby.
A Strong Return Packed With Build Wisdom
This MasterClass episode blends travel stories, build troubleshooting, adhesive insights, battery advice, and encouragement for builders of all skill levels. With reliable hardware from DU-BRO and practical mentorship from Joshua and Brian, hobbyists gain the confidence to tackle each new build phase with clarity and creativity.
