Multiplex Modelsport
Encyclopedia
Bretten
Bretten is a town in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on Bertha Benz Memorial Route.-Geography:Bretten lies in the centre of a rectangle that is formed by Heidelberg, Karlsruhe, Heilbronn and Stuttgart as corners. It has a population of approximately 28,000. The centre of...
, Germany is a manufacturer of hobby-grade radio control
Radio control
Radio control is the use of radio signals to remotely control a device. The term is used frequently to refer to the control of model vehicles from a hand-held radio transmitter...
electronics, electric radio-controlled airplanes and electric helicopters
Radio-controlled helicopter
Radio-controlled helicopters are model aircraft which are distinct from RC airplanes because of the differences in construction, aerodynamics, and flight training...
.
Their aircraft models are molded of a proprietary expanded polypropylene foam
Polypropylene
Polypropylene , also known as polypropene, is a thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety of applications including packaging, textiles , stationery, plastic parts and reusable containers of various types, laboratory equipment, loudspeakers, automotive components, and polymer banknotes...
known as Elapor. The flexible nature of the material makes the company's models resistant to crash damage as well as easy assembly and repair with ordinary hobby-grade cyanoacrylate
Cyanoacrylate
Cyanoacrylate is the generic name for cyanoacrylate based fast-acting adhesives such as methyl 2-cyanoacrylate, ethyl-2-cyanoacrylate , and n-butyl cyanoacrylate...
adhesives. The two-part epoxy
Epoxy
Epoxy, also known as polyepoxide, is a thermosetting polymer formed from reaction of an epoxide "resin" with polyamine "hardener". Epoxy has a wide range of applications, including fiber-reinforced plastic materials and general purpose adhesives....
commonly used in model assembly will not bind Elapor, nor will so-called "foam safe" cyanoacrylate adhesives used in the assembly and repair of EPS foam models.
Aircraft
Models range from small powered gliders such as the Cularis to "pusher prop jets" such as the FunJET pictured right to the company's largest model, the Mentor. The Mentor, a trainer aircraft which resembles a Cessna 180Cessna 180
The Cessna 180 is a four- or six-seat, fixed conventional gear general aviation airplane which was produced between 1953 and 1981. Though the design is no longer in production, many of these aircraft are still in use as personal aircraft and in utility roles such as bush...
, is an electric-powered model similar in size and power to a .40 cubic inch/6.5cc glow engine-powered model. It is large and powerful enough to be used as a glider tug and parts are packed with the kit to allow the Mentor to be used as such.
In 2010, the company introduced its first helicopter model, the FUNCOPTER. The model features an Elapor fuselage and a direct drive rotor system, eliminating the need for the drive gears and one-way bearings found in many other models.
Also introduced in 2010 was the FunJET Ultra. The original FunJET is a popular subject for modification, with heavily modified examples capable of greater than 130 MPH (210 km/h). The Ultra addresses the problems inherent in such modifications with a combination of denser Elapor, improved aerodynamics with the elimination of the simulated wing tanks and modified motor mount.
Radio control equipment
Multiplex's RoyalPRO line of aircraft and surface model radios are available in both North American and European frequency ranges including the spread spectrumSpread spectrum
Spread-spectrum techniques are methods by which a signal generated in a particular bandwidth is deliberately spread in the frequency domain, resulting in a signal with a wider bandwidth...
2.4 GHz band. The company also markets a line of servo
Servomechanism
thumb|right|200px|Industrial servomotorThe grey/green cylinder is the [[Brush |brush-type]] [[DC motor]]. The black section at the bottom contains the [[Epicyclic gearing|planetary]] [[Reduction drive|reduction gear]], and the black object on top of the motor is the optical [[rotary encoder]] for...
s and electronic speed control
Electronic speed control
An electronic speed control or ESC is an electronic circuit with the purpose to vary an electric motor's speed, its direction and possibly also to act as a dynamic brake...
s, again for both air and surface use.