In the first paragraph of the assembly manual, ACE says: "The Ace Big Bingo is designed and engineered to provide you with a nice looking, easy flying model airplane that goes together in a minimum amount of time with a minimum amount of frustration." I am happy to report that Doc Matthews and his associates have accomplished this goal to the letter!

When building a giant model for a High-Flight review, we try to follow the kit manufacturer's instructions and plans exactly as they are presented. This is what a new bui1der in the hobby has to do. He has no choice and is virtually at the mercy of the manufacturer. The Big Bingo is a splendid kit for the first time "Big Bird" builder. There are 37 photos or line drawings in the assembly manual explaining those areas that need a little extra help, plus many hints and sketches on the main drawings.

The full size drawings are done by Richard Ackermann whose drafting ability really shines. This added so much to the pleasure of building the Big Bingo.

Lite ply construction is utilized extensively. We have never seen better die cutting. Every cut is "slick as a whistle." The leading edge for the wing is PVC and it's great because it is strong, straight, requires no sanding and loves CA adhesives. The wing is built in two halves and is exceptionally strong due in part to the use of a 7/8" x 20" aluminum joiner tube that fits inside two 10" wing tubes. We found this to be a clever idea, and it is very easy to line up for field assembly.

When it came time to break open the hardware package, we were pleased to see that ACE left little or nothing extra for us to buy. The parts all fit and were of high quality. This is a natural, considering the huge stock of accessories that ACE stocks for its catalog and dealer sales.

The landing gear is heavy-duty aluminum and will stand up to most any type of landing. The wheel pants are easy to assemble and suitably strong ... no problem here.

We decided to cover the Big Bingo with MonoKote white (fuselage) and yellow (wings). These colors lend themselves nicely to visibility and make a sharp looking aircraft. The self adhesive decals are supplied by ACE and are simple to apply. They stick like "F1ynn" to the Monokote too! Ah, but we needed a pilot to fill that huge cockpit. After a little shopping, an MGA 1/4 scale pilot bust was chosen. The civilian/sport version was ordered and it arrived in three days from the time we made the call. Their "pilots" come completely finished, equipped and ready for installation. Ours was 5" tall and weighed 6 oz. total. The MGA line of pilots is a must for those of us who do not have the time or talent to do detailed painting of faces, hair and etc.

Our editor supplied a Super Tigre 3000 with C.H. ignition system for the power. It fit perfectly, but be aware that the Big Bingo is designed for upright engine installation. This is great for engine operation, but is a little different for those of us that are accustomed to inverted, hidden engine installations. We also used a J'TEC engine mount and one of their very efficient Snuffler muffler systems. A 3 1/2" Tru Turn spinner completed the engine installation.

Roger also supplied an ACE Micro Pro 8000 radio system matched with heavy duty JR servos. Radio installation is certainly one area that usually is not a concern with our giant aircraft. There is plenty of room in most of our models and the Big Bingo is no exception. With the C.H. ignition battery tucked in the front compartment, under the fuel tank, the aircraft balanced perfectly. This is a well thought out kit ... one that if built according to the plans will not cause any last minute worries.

With the construction completed, I shipped the aircraft north to Michigan from my Beaumont, Texas shop. There, the flight testing would be done. From a builder's point of view this is a super kit with no surprises. Leo Rick

Flying the Big Bingo

I couldn't wait for Leo to complete the construction of the Big Bingo so we could fly it! The kit was waiting for us when we arrived home from Toledo in April and I shipped it down to Leo as soon as he agreed to participate in the construction/flight/review. A month after Leo received the kit, it was on its way back to Michigan. The welcomed call came from Roadway Transport and the aircraft was delivered. (Leo said I have found that the safest way to ship giant models is in a plywood crate, reinforced and filled to the brim with foam peanuts. This type of container is way too big for UPS.)

The next morning found us at the Baldwin Meadows flying site near Clarkston, Michigan. The two piece wing really comes in handy when it's time to transport or assemble the aircraft. It's just handier to have two 42" wing panels to hang on to instead of one 85" one! Four bolts (two steel in the front, two nylon in the rear) hold it on and we added brass strips between the wing halves just for safety. These brass strips won't allow the wing to come apart even if one bolt may come loose.

We fueled the S.T. 3000 and quickly remembered why we like ignition equipped model aircraft engines. One flip of the 18 x 10 Zinger and the engine putt - putt- putted to life. The C.H. ignition system just makes giant power plants so much easier to operate and with ignition systems, they really idle smoothly and start without hesitation. We taxied out and did a low speed taxi to check for true ground handling. The white and yellow Big Bingo tracked true ... certainly a credit both to Leo's building skills and the design of ACE's new large aircraft.

O.K. enough of this. Let's Fly! Turning the Big Bingo into the wind, applying 1/2 throttle and 30 ft down the grass runway the giant lifted off... no tipping or falling off to either wing. This airplane is so comfortable to fly that it is a joy to fly.

After about 5 minutes of "getting to know you" flying, I inverted the Big Bingo, flew knife edge lines and performed high and low speed passes. Before long, other pilots were standing behind us wondering out loud just "what was the name of that airplane?"

"It's the new Big Bingo by ACE, " my son would tell them as he spotted for me. I couldn't help but think of what Leo had told me as he was preparing to ship the aircraft: "You can't help but be a winner in this Bingo game." He was right. Roger Smith

	Specifications 
	Name of kit - Big Bingo 
	Manufacturer - ACE R/C 
	List Price - $179.95 
	Span - 85" 
	Weight - 16 lbs. 
	Area - 1425 sq. in. 
	Spinner - Tru Turn 
	Ignition - C.H. Electronics 
	Pilot - MGA Enterprises 
	Radio - ACE Micro Pro 
	Servo's - JR heavy duty 
	Covering - MonoKote