Pilot: Ben Baumann

Model: Balsa NOVA 120

BNova take off

Manufacturer: Morris Hobbies

Website: Morris Hobbies

Engine: OS 160FX

Motor: NA

Speed Control: NA

Prop: APC 20×6

Battery: (2x) 2300Mah NiMH 6v packs on dual HD switch harnesses

Receiver: Futaba R149DP

Servos:

Aileron(s): (2x) Hitec 755HB

Rudder: Hitec 755HB (pull-pull)

Elevator: (2x) Hitec 755HB

Throttle: Futaba 9001

Review/Comments

The Balsa NOVA 120 was an interesting project.  Kevin bought the 40 sized kit in 2001 when he first got into the hobby.  The kit stayed boxed for years, being convinced that it would be a bit to aerobatic to learn on.  Kevin built multiple airplanes before turning to the Balsa NOVA for building satisfaction.  In 2005 Kevin decided he wanted to build the Balsa NOVA, but decided on building the 120 version.  

The build lasted 2 years and every step was meticulously thought out.   All of the push rods are sullivan gold-n-rods.  All of the connectors are HD ball joints with HD horns connected to a hardwood dowel built into the control surface.  The landing gear is custom made and the muffler is also custom made to fit nicely into the narrow cowell.  The fuel tank is a large 24 oz tank.  It has been in the air for 20 minutes before and still not ran out of fuel.  

Kevin did an excellent job building the airplane and it shows up when you fly it.  The airplane has a 84″ wingspan and flies like it is on rails.  It has a pretty low wing loading for such a big airplane, giving it a wide speed envelope.  The wing is fairly thick, so a prop with a pitch larger than 6 is not recommended by the manufacturer.  

The fuselage is almost a hybrid between a full fuse design and a profile design.  It provides excellent authority in knife edge.  It is a sport airplane, but is the closest to a pattern ship that I fly.  The motor provides enough power to hover the 16lb airplane, but I have never tried this near the ground as it has little extra power to pull out of a hover.  This is an excellent choice for someone looking to have a forgiving, slow-flying, fun airplane.  Since I also have flown the Balsa NOVA 40 I can say that either would be a great 2nd or 3rd airplane.  

BNova pilots

BNova inverted low