Review: Yonex Ti-10 Long SP Gen II badminton racquet

I bought this racquet as a replacement for the old Carbonex 8 SP which I have used for the past year, on loan from my wife. The Carbonex is not a bad racquet, but it is a very heavy bugger to manouvre.

During my holiday to Malaysia in May, I stopped by my wife, Michelle's hometown for a couple of weeks and eventually bought my Yonex Ti-10 racquet at a local badminton club there. The racquet that I bought was the last one available in the shop as Yonex was already superseding it with the newner, Gen III model.


I paid RM 450 (approx. £75) for this racquet and the shopkeeper threw in a Yonex bag, set of overgrips and BG-6 strings free. Pretty good bargain, I'd say.





I told the shopkeeper to string the racquet at 24lbs, which is the sort of tension I'm used to, but the Ti-10 can, apparently, take up to 30lbs! This strength can be attributed to the usage of titanium mesh in the frame and also the Muscle Power frame shape of the head.

Yonex says on their website that the rounded grommet holes in its Muscle Power frames eliminate stress-loading and fatigue of the string through contact friction, creating unity of frame and string through closer and tighter contact, and delivering more face stability packs power into hits.




Titanium mesh is the main ingredient in the frame. The technology's main benefit, according to Yonex, are a stronger and heavier fibre mesh, giving greater resistance to twisting forces generated on impact and mass-stablized frame. I think what this boils down to is a more stable racquet head.




Near high-end Yonex racquets like the Ti-10 are still produced in Japan. The shaft is made from high modulus graphite, which isn't a very dissimmiliar material found in modern racquets. High modulus, based on my engineering knowledge, means the material can absorb a high amount of bending forces before yielding.

This element is quite important in a racquet shaft to prevent buckling of the shaft due to the compression forces generated from lateral forces at the head.




Graduating from the Carbonex 8 to the Ti-10 isn't as scary a process as I had imagined.

It is a much lighter racquet and thus, very mobile and fast for defensive play, especially during a game of doubles. Probably why the Malaysian doubles team, Koo Keng Kiat and Tan Boon Heong chose the Ti-10 as their main racquet. Fu Haifeng of China is also another shuttler who uses this racquet.

Clearing is very near effortless, and drop shots can be executed very precisely. Being 'head-light balance', the racquet also takes less energy to manouvre around.

However, I found that my racquet's repulsion power is uncomfortably high for my liking. It could be the strings thats too tense but I have yet to find the real cause. When I do an offensive clear (low and fast clear to the baseline), the shuttle quite often goes out of the court. I guess, on the flip side of the coin, I can clear from baseline to baseline with less effort now. :D

At the net, the repulsion is also a problem for me occasionally. Shuttles tend to jump too high when I try to lob it over the net, even without much effort from my wrist. I just hope this is because I've used a heavy racquet in the past and easily overcome when I spend more court time with the racquet.

Now comes the interesting part: smashing power. Despite the high repulsion power, the smash power wasn't as great as I had imagined it to be. Yes, it definitely packs more punch than my old Carbonex 8 but comparatively, both the old Gen 1 Ti-10 and my wife's Ti-8 have greater smashing power than this racquet.

From top to bottom: Yonex Ti-8, Yonex Ti-10, Yonex Carbonex 8

The free Yonex bag that came with the racquet. :D

To conclude, I think this Yonex Ti-10 is a decent investment, considering the fact that I have not owned any racquets previously. If you are a smash maniac, then there are better racquets around but if you're looking a fast and nimble racquet for doubles play with decent killing power, then nothing else comes close (except maybe the Armortec 700 Technique).


Vital statistics

Price: RM 450 (discounted 2008 price)

Frame: HM Graphite + Titanium mesh

Shaft: HM Graphite

Stiffness: Extra stiff

Balance: Light head balance

Weight: 85 - 89 grams

Review: KSC Heckler & Koch USP Compact pistol

Popularised by Jack Bauer in the action-thriller TV series '24', the Heckler & Koch (HK) USP Compact has been a much sought after piece of hardware in the airsoft arena. The USP Compact stemmed from the success of its original and larger USP which is the acronym for Universale Selbstlade Pistole or Universal Self-loading Pistol. The USP is a double action semi-automatic pistol meant for law enforcement use. Currently the USP is chambered for three different calibers: 9mm, .45 ACP and .40 S&W.



Now, for the review of my airsoft version of this pistol.

The gun came packaged in a moulded styrofoam case. Along with it is a detailed User's Manual albeit written in Japanese (sealed inside a plastic bag). There is also a small bag of BBs, loading tools, hop-up tool, hammer-lock key (a safety feature) and barrel plug. According to the manual, the airsoft model weighs 710g, which is virtually the same as the real steel model (real USP Compact weighs about 730g). The magazine can accept 21 rounds, and has a firm and sturdy feel to it.

The grip is very comfortable to hold and has a rough stippled texture on each side. On the front and back there are square checkering for added secure grasp. I find the grip fits medium-sized hands very nicely, but larger hands may require the extended finger floorplate. External metal parts include the rear/front sights, hammer, trigger, slide release, safety and magazine release.

Engraved on the slide is the official HK logo along with the text 'USP Compact 9mm x 19'. Under the slide, on the front receiver, is the recessed rail which will accept tactical lights or laser sights.

The bobbed hammer ensures that the pistol will not snag onto your holster while being drawn. The safety lever has been cleverly positioned on the frame to allow quick and smooth manipulation during a firefight. The safety lever has the letters S (safe) and F (fire) engraved onto it, with S painted white and F painted red. Pushing the lever upwards places the gun on SAFE and lines up the S with the “white mark” painted on the frame (the mark is repeated on opposite side for left-handed levers).

When the hammer is cocked, pushing the safety lever downward decocks the hammer onto a “semi-cocked” position (slightly raised). The trigger has to be pulled along with the thumb on the hammer to return it to fully uncock it rest (flushed with the slide). The gun can be placed on SAFE with either the hammer rested or cocked (for “cocked and locked” carry, US Secret Service style).

Performance

Injecting gas into the magazine is no different than any other GBB made by KSC. You can either load the ammunution by hand feeding it one by one or by using the loading rod which has been included. The mag holds 21 rounds of ammunition in staggered formation.

For the chronograph test I used the standard HFC134a gas and 0.2g BBs. I fired the gun under normal room temperature after warming up the magazine. At 20 feet,which is the normal engagement range for CQBs (close quarter battle), the pistol achieved 15 out of 21 grouping within 30mm, which is pretty decent.

A maximum velocity of 242 fps (feet per second) was attained but I recorded an average of 230 fps after discharging five magazines. You could probably gain an extra 20% out of the velocity if you use the higher grade gases but this may require significant upgrades to the inner mechanisms and will reduce the lifespan of your pistol.

After the last round is fired, the slide locks back just like a real pistol. Use your thumb to flick the slide release lever located just above the trigger to return the slide forward.

To remove the magazine, simply press down on the ambidextreous magazine release lever which is positioned at the forward section of the grip, below the trigger guard. The magazine will the fall off the pistol under its own weight.

Disassembling the pistol is a simple affair. First remove the magazine and then push the slide back slightly so the slide catch lines up with the pivot point of the slide release lever. Now on the right side push the lever out and remove it. The whole slide will run forward and off the frame. The outer/inner barrel, guide rod and spring can then be removed from the slide as well.

The pistol can be stripped without any tools for clearing jammed ammunition or maintenance.

There are also a variety of after market products which you can use to enhance the USP Compact, either aesthetically or mechanically. My future plan is to buy a threaded barrel for the pistol so that a silencer than be attached to it.


Vital statistics

Price: £70 (2006 price)
Action: Gas blowback semi automatic pistol
Velocity: Average 230 fps; maximum 240 fps
Weight: 710 grams


To conclude, the KSC USP Compact is a very reliable sidearm to complement your main weapon in airsoft skirmishes. So far, I have never experience any stoppages and I can only credit this to the quality of this pistol.

If you have £70 to spare and want a good pistol, then look no further.

Light airplane crashes into a house in Ipoh

IPOH: Housewife P. Susila was stunned when she heard a loud bang and saw the object that crashed into her garden here yesterday, just metres from where she was standing – it was an aeroplane.

The two-seater Eagle 150B was largely intact and was upside down with its nose embedded in a patch of plants in Susila's nicely-maintained garden in Taman Chempaka. The wingtips had just missed the boundary wall and a pillar. A set of garden furniture just metres from the wreckage was untouched.

Relating the 1.30pm incident Susila, 49, said: “I was inside the house when I heard a loud noise. When I looked out of the door to check, I was stunned to see the plane in my garden, just metres from my doorstep.

”The two-seater Eagle 150B trainer aircraft crashed-landed in the garden of a double-storey link house in Taman Cempaka, Ipoh, Thursday. The trainer and trainee pilot survived the crash.

Soon after, several people were shouting at her to tell her to open the gate so that they could help the two pilots who were still in the cockpit, she added.

Trainer Mohamad Faizal Kamaruddin, 37, and his 23-year-old trainee Ahmad Tarmezee Ahmad Lotpi were in the airplane belonging to an aviation institute here.

It is believed that the pilot had lost control of the aircraft before it crash-landed into Susila’s compound.




Ipoh traffic chief Deputy Supt Mohd Rodzi Rajab said the two men, who were badly injured but in stable condition, had been admitted to the Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun.



Police said they were still investigating the incident and had yet to identify who was flying the airplane.

Chia Kwan Hong, who was having lunch nearby said he saw the plane hitting a tree first before it crash-landed.Chia, a 25-year-old computer salesman, said he and his father Kook Kheong, 51, rushed to the crash site to see if they could help the survivors.After 20 minutes, rescuers managed to free the two men from the wreck and rushed them to hospital.

(the above is an extract from TheStar Online)




Author's Note: The Eagle 150B was originally an Australian design but Composite Technology Research Malaysia has since bought the license and the aircraft is now being manufactured in Malaysia and widely used for training potential airline pilots.

I have personally seen this aircraft fly and perform aerobatics at Simpang Airfield, which also happens to be the Royal Malaysian Air Force museum. The Eagle 150 is a very capable trainer and there really hasn't been a lot of incidents related to the aircraft in its 10 years in service.

The official accident report has not been released so I shall not speculate on the reasons for the crash. Nonetheless, the photographic evidence does seem to suggest either engine failure or pilot error contributing to a stall.

To digress a bit, I also find the reporters choice of words a little awkward. The flying instructor was referred to as a trainer???

Airplanes used for training pilots are called trainers. In England, sport shoes are called trainers. People who coach trainee pilots are NOT trainers... they are called flying instructors! FFS.

This is what the plane looks like while intact.