Way more than $20 worth of fun

[ColoradoSkier]

Picked up an Estes Sky Ranger at Wally World the other day for $20.

http://www.estesrockets.com/assets/images/prod_aptinet/4160_1.jpg

Took it out to the park today at lunch and flew it. Took a little correcting to get it to fly straight. Once I did though, it was all kinds of fun. Way more than the $20 I invested in it. And it is small enough I can keep it in my office at work without attracting a lot of attention.

[Yota]

How do the engines and controls work? Is it R/C or ??

[Mcstiff]

Sky Rangers? Micro R/C Airplane
Product Number: 4160
Introducing one of the greatest values in Micro R/C! This new Sky Rangers R/C airplane is packed full of new technology, such as a Lithium Polymer battery, powerful twin motor system and solid state electronic controller/charger!

Controlling and charging the plane is easy using the included All-In-One controller and charger. This field ready 4-way controller with built in charger is designed for easy operation and trouble free use at the field. Plus this unit comes equipped with our exclusive Fly-Rite? steering control that allows anyone, new or experienced, to fly like a pro.


Length: 11.5 in. (29.2 cm)Wingspan: 14.0 in. (35.6 cm)Notes: 2-Channer controller & charger (Freq. 27.095MHz)

[ColoradoSkier]

It's R/C, and I found the effective range to be roughly 100 yards. Might be more, but that's where the trees started, so I didn't push farther.

[Yota]

4-way controller? Does that mean 4-axis? As in Pitch, Roll, Yaw and throttle?

If so, that'd be pretty kick arse.

I may stop off and get one of these.

[ColoradoSkier]

The motors do it all for steering and lift. Still a lot of fun, and after a few minutes, I felt fairly adept with it given I don't have any experience in larger, more complicated (3 or more channel) planes.

[Jake_Blues]

Controlling and charging the plane is easy using the included All-In-One controller and charger. This field ready 4-way controller with built in charger is designed for easy operation and trouble free use at the field. Plus this unit comes equipped with our exclusive Fly-Rite? steering control that allows anyone, new or experienced, to fly like a pro.

Length: 11.5 in. (29.2 cm)Wingspan: 14.0 in. (35.6 cm)Notes: 2-Channer controller & charger (Freq. 27.095MHz)

4-way controller? Does that mean 4-axis? As in Pitch, Roll, Yaw and throttle?

If so, that'd be pretty kick arse.

I may stop off and get one of these.

Details at the bottom, 2-channel controller. So, probably throttle and rudder, or elevator and rudder (with the throttle just running full on till the battery runs low) 4 way probably means up, down, left, and right :)

OK, did a little reading and it sounds like the plane is more simple than I thought. It uses differential throttle for turning control. So it basically has no control surfaces. Just a three position throttle and differential throttle for yaw. Not much control, I think if you've ever flown RC before you might be disappointed!

-E

[PhantomD AKA Zach]

usually with planes like this, lift is achieved by increasing the throttle, and as it appeares here, the dual engines are used for turning, although I have seen others use a small servo attached to the rudder...

easy to fly and a lot of fun!

I have flown a hobby zone scout... something... it was a BLAST!!!

we connected the engine pod (which contained a rudder servo) to one of those HUGE styrofoam planes (the $7 ones at wally world) it flew BEAUTIFULLY!

EDIT: It's discountinued now, but here is the plane I am talking about http://www.hobbyzone.com/rc_planes_hobbyzone_firebird_scout.htm

the phantom (the step up) can do barrel rolls and stuff... buy an extra battery or two!

Zach

[ColoradoSkier]

usually with planes like this, lift is achieved by increasing the throttle, and as it appeares here, the dual engines are used for turning, although I have seen others use a small servo attached to the rudder...

No servo on this one, just throttle control.


I have flown a hobby zone scout... something... it was a BLAST!!!

we connected the engine pod (which contained a rudder servo) to one of those HUGE styrofoam planes (the $7 ones at wally world) it flew BEAUTIFULLY!

Zach

Garrett had one like this:

http://www.hobbyzone.com/images/airplanes/HBZ4700-350.jpg

It's been wrecked, but I'll have to see if he still has the parts. Hadn't thought about putting it on one of those big styrofoam planes. Did you add a controllable rudder to it?

[ColoradoSkier]

Wal-Mart also had the Corsair, can't remember how much though. I have been impressed enough with the Micro one, that I would buy the Corsair. I recall thinking I should start with something simpler (cheaper) first. FWIW, it appears that the Corsair does have somewhat proper control surfaces.

http://www.estesrockets.com/assets/images/prod_aptinet/4105_1.jpg

$40 through froogle.com (http://www.google.com/products?q=estes+corsair&btnG=Search+Products), so probably the same at Wal-Mart.

[PhantomD AKA Zach]

yeah, my uncle used the regular wire and some card stock, taped the card stock to the back of the rudder with about 1/8 gap (so the tape could bend) and after some trial and error of engine pod placement it flew... I think we had to add like 3 pennies to the front to balance it out, but it was more fun to fly then the stock plane... VERY graceful, only needed like 1/4 throttle to stay airborn...

it was huge too, so it was fun to fly...


Zach

[Jake_Blues]

You guys are making me want to get back into R/C. I have a radio and all the goodies, just no planes. I don't need another expensive hobby, durnit!

-E

[supremebeholder]

My experience with that particular model was different. I?ve owned I think eight or nine Air Hogs micro R/C planes and helicopters over the past two years and I?m pretty good at flying them, but for the life of me I couldn?t get that plane to go more than about fifty feet. No matter the wind conditions, or how easy/hard I threw it, it would always slowly descend the five feet to the ground. It seemed to me that the thing was just too heavy and underpowered to stay in the air. I finally played a little with the elevators to get it to stay level but I could never get the thing to climb.

The other problem with it is the hard, rigid foam. That stuff doesn?t handle impacts nearly as well as the softer stuff that the Air Hogs planes are made out of. I cracked a wing on my tenth or so crash/landing and gave up with it.

This really disappointed me because I grew up building Estes rockets and I expected better when I bought it. In the end I scavenged the LiPO for another plane that needed a new one and scrapped the body. Maybe I just got a dud but I don?t think I?m going to try the Estes line again.

[ColoradoSkier]

Good to know, as I have been looking at some of the Air Hogs line too. I like the thought of respectable performance in a $40 or less package. If I wanted to spend $100, I'd definitely go HobbyZone.

[PhantomD AKA Zach]

could our altitude have any noticable effect on these planes?

I have only flown them at sea level...

Zach

[Oscar]

yes in theory so temperture and barometric pressure

[supremebeholder]

could our altitude have any noticable effect on these planes?

I have only flown them at sea level...

Zach

That's one thing I was thinking. I'm at 7000 feet and I had to trim a lot of weight (mostly body foam) off of my helicopters in order to get more than about a minute of flight time. I didn't think it would be as big of issue with the plane, especially considering Estes is a local company.

[ColoradoSkier]

All sorts of info about these little planes (and the Aero Aces and more) at http://www.rcgroups.com/micro-rtf-420/

[Colorado 5.9]

This is one of my latest. It's three channels & operates on 2.4ghz. It's a tad expencive though. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtXvzaVqw5g

I also just got my first EDF Jet. A Kyosho F-16. I have yet to put mine together yet. Here's a vid of one. http://www.rcmachinery.com/kyoshof16.htm

[Matt]

I picked this one up last spring. It was a LOT of fun until the wind picked up. :(

http://www.hobbyzone.com/rc_planes_parkzone_j-3_cub.htm

[Colorado 5.9]

ParkZone will have a new J-3 cub version out sometime in the near future with an upgraded brushless motor.

[Dave McDonald]

So, who's gonna be the first to take off of a treadmill and youtube it?

[cheftyler]

I'll do it...you donating the treadmill I'm going to destroy in the process? :D

[Dave McDonald]

I'll do it...you donating the treadmill I'm going to destroy in the process? :D

Craigslist :)

[ColoradoSkier]

I also just got my first EDF Jet. A Kyosho F-16. I have yet to put mine together yet. Here's a vid of one. http://www.rcmachinery.com/kyoshof16.htm

:drool:

[Jake_Blues]

I also just got my first EDF Jet. A Kyosho F-16. I have yet to put mine together yet. Here's a vid of one. http://www.rcmachinery.com/kyoshof16.htm

I had the Kyosho F-86 EDF (which I don't think they make anymore, unfortunately), it was great! If the F-16 is anything like it you'll be really happy with it.

-E

[ColoradoSkier]

So how long does it take to learn to fly something like that F-16 without crashing it?

[Jake_Blues]

So how long does it take to learn to fly something like that F-16 without crashing it?

Kinda a tough question to answer... everyone learns to fly 'em at a different rate. I was flying R/C sailplanes for about a year before I got my F-86 EDF.

Most electric ducted fans are somewhat underpowered for their weight, so the powered flight guys tend to dislike them. However, coming from the sailplane world (with NO power), I didn't have an issue with it. I was used to light, comparatively fragile planes, and dead stick landings :D

Being as you're a gamer with decent twitch skills, you could probably learn fairly quickly, but I'd get a trainer-type electric in between with at least proportional throttle, elevator, and rudder.

-E

[ColoradoSkier]

I'll play with the park flyers for a while then move up to a trainer I think. Be easier on the budget for a bit. :)

[Jake_Blues]

I'll play with the park flyers for a while then move up to a trainer I think. Be easier on the budget for a bit. :)

If you're looking for something for playing in the park AND you want a little bit of a workout, try hand-launch sailplanes. These were always one of my favorites. They will also teach you a lot about flying R/C airplanes.

-E

[ColoradoSkier]

I'll keep that in mind. Thanks.

[ttim]

i went by wally world in evergreen today to pick up one fo these $20 planes, and i see paper flyers on shelf saying those rangers are recalled :( and they had no other cheap planes or such to buy and play with. i think the Estes website was supposed to have the recall notice.
i was bummed to say the least.
thanks for that link to the micro forum too, ColoradoSkier, lots of cool stuff on there! i like that some of the actual designers and testers of some of the companies are on there :)

[Colorado 5.9]

Ya know. I remember seeing that on RCgroups about the ranger now. I can't remember for sure but I think it had something to do about shorting out & causing fires.

Better go search for it on RCGroups to find out.

[ColoradoSkier]

IIRC, the recall did not affect all of them. I need to read up on that.

[ColoradoSkier]

OK, I read the recall FAQ at http://www.estesrockets.com/41534161qa.php

The recall affects model #'s 4153 and 4161. Mine is a 4160.

Here is the 4161: http://www.estesrockets.com/assets/images/prod_aptinet/4161_1.jpg

Not sure on the 4153, but I think it might be the Corsair that Radio Shack was selling for a while.

[Jake_Blues]

I can't remember for sure but I think it had something to do about shorting out & causing fires.


I think an R/C plane that bursts into flames in flight would be twice as fun. Screw the recall, give us more flaming airplanes!

-E

[ColoradoSkier]

You could just give it a boost with some Estes rocket engines, might have the same effect... ;)

[starbreaker666]

This begs the question of what happens when you put a plane on a conveyor belt.

[ColoradoSkier]

Ban please

[Jake_Blues]

You could just give it a boost with some Estes rocket engines, might have the same effect... ;)


http://www.acsupplyco.com/aerospace/estesplanes/centurianlg.jpg (http://www.acsupplyco.com/aerospace/rc/centurion.htm)

Been done :D Estes makes one (or did, dunno if it is still in production). There are others, as well. I've also seen X-15 models that boosted in horizontal flight. The biggest problems are the shift in the center of gravity as propellant is burned, and the fact that wings which are good for gliding after the rocket burns out are horrible for high-speed rocket propelled flight, and vice-versa.

Still, fun stuff :)

-E

[ColoradoSkier]

It's pretty cool that the Estes plane designers are on that forum I linked to. Looks like some other designers hang out there too.

[ColoradoSkier]

Also, it is interestring to see how much work the members of that forum put into these $20 planes. They put 4x as much in aftermarket radio gear in them. They are worse than all the Nylint people were when those Jeeps were making such a splash (still have mine, stock, and it runs great!).

[Jake_Blues]

Also, it is interestring to see how much work the members of that forum put into these $20 planes. They put 4x as much in aftermarket radio gear in them. They are worse than all the Nylint people were when those Jeeps were making such a splash (still have mine, stock, and it runs great!).

Heh... my last sailplane radio was $600, without servos :D And good, high speed micro servos can easily be $60 each or more, and you need at least 6 for a competition sailplane (some powered models use 12 or more). R/C can be a very, very expensive hobby if you get into it.

-E

[newracer]

Check out what they do with those $30 helicopters. Also crazy the amount of time and equipment they put into them.

[ColoradoSkier]

I have wanted to do an r/c micro helo for fun around the office, but for now the plane is enough for me.

[newracer]

woot had a 2 pack of micro r/c helis last week, $30, they sold out fast

[Colorado 5.9]

I think an R/C plane that bursts into flames in flight would be twice as fun. Screw the recall, give us more flaming airplanes!

-E

LOL, It can happen. It's actally not funny though. Lipo batteries can & are very dangures. A lipo like the ones I use in my helis & Stryker 27c can burst into flames if the short out in any way. Once they start they can't really be stopped. They are like big giant flares & burn everything up.

Even a little lipo like what's in Colorado Skiers plane can burn a house down. It happened to a guy in India this last spring. He bought a little heli with a tiny lipo for his kid while in the US. His Kid pluged the heli into the charger that's part of the transmiter & went down stairs to eat. 10 minutes later his whole bedroom was on fire.

Here's a larger heli that burned up. One out of the three cells went mid flight. About $300 down the drain. I think he was able to salvage the gyro, motor, & tail servo. maybe the rec.http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Colorado59/RC%20Helicopters/burnt007.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Colorado59/RC%20Helicopters/burnt009.jpg

[ZJbrandon]

www.wattflyer.com is also a great source of info for electric RC flight.
learned alot there, when first venturing into RC planes.

[ColoradoSkier]

Looks like that Lipo burned pretty hot...

[ColoradoSkier]

I think I want to move up to this thing... :evil:

http://yardbirdrc.com/YB22%203D_small.jpg

http://yardbirdrc.com/Airplanes.htm

Not cheap though... at least compared to the $20 one I have sitting on my bookshelf here at the office.

[fire_girl3]

Sweet! I want one!
When I was younger, my parents let my brother and I buy R/C hydroplanes. But those things were expensive and only lasted about 30 min

[ColoradoSkier]

I had a pretty nice R/C boat for a while. It was a lot of fun. Now that we have a full size boat, I think I need to get an r/c electric boat to play with while we are on the shore eating lunch or whatever.

[ColoradoSkier]

Well, I bought an Air Hogs Aero Ace Jet and took it out to the park today, along with the Estes plane. The Estes plane has already come apart (the foam in the nose broke). The AA plane is very resilient and fun to fly, I just wish it were a bit faster. I think I need to try a different model AA to see if the flight characteristics are different.

Oh, and back to the boat thing real quick - saw this for sale... :drool:

55" in length with a Zenoah 23cc engine.

http://images.craigslist.org/0115080102080116122007103049fbd37b57cb42c8890028e9.jpg

[newracer]

Those 23cc boats are sweet. You can really trick out the motors too.

I have an air boat that will go on water (of course), wet grass, and snow. It has so much power it will blow over before it hits top speed. I plan to add a wing to the front to keep the nose down.

[supremebeholder]

I was never so concerned with speed, but the Air Hogs delta wing jet with dual rudders was pretty fast at the cost of maneuverability.

I would like to find one that's a little more maneuverable. The best one I have so far is the original Air Hogs biplane with the lower wing removed. I think the next one I get will have more than 2 channels, and have controllable surfaces instead of just the two motors.

I?ve had full size electric RC planes before but I?ve never had as much fun with them. I?d really like to find something to bridge the gap.

[OFRD_GRL]

lol i got a remote plane a month ago... it had self correcting controls and everything.. for beginners who suck at flying planes
and it ended like this:
video
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w234/alwaysoffroad/th_MOV03394.jpg (http://s177.photobucket.com/albums/w234/alwaysoffroad/?action=view&current=MOV03394.flv)

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w234/alwaysoffroad/plane1.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w234/alwaysoffroad/plane2.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w234/alwaysoffroad/plane3.jpg

[supremebeholder]

lol i got a remote plane a month ago... it had self correcting controls and everything.. for beginners who suck at flying planes
and it ended like this:
video


That's why I love the durability of the Air Hogs planes. I've taught several people, including 2 kids, to fly them without any major damage.

[ColoradoSkier]

Una - go to Wally World and get an Air Hogs plane - pretty hard to destroy, and a lot of fun for ~$20.

Supreme - I have the delta wing jet. Supposedly very soon Air Hogs is releasing a 3ch plane (already available in Canada and elsewhere), so that may be a cost-effective way to move up to more control. I am with you on wanting more control like that.

I did manage to get the Estes plane to do a couple of loops today before the nose broke.

[newracer]

$100

Features

* Ready to fly in less time than it takes to charge the battery
* Includes fully proportional 3-channel FM transmitter, batteries and DC peak detect field charger
* Transmitter selectable Mode Change Flight Control? System
* Fully proportional elevator, rudder and throttle
* Factory-applied decals
* 370 motor with gear reduction
* Carbon fiber fuselage
* Powerful enough for the park
* Slow enough for indoor flight
* X-Port enabled for aerial combat and bomb dropping


http://www.hobbyzone.com/images/airplanes/PKZ1300-350.jpg


http://www.hobbyzone.com/rc_planes_parkzone_slo-v.htm

[ColoradoSkier]

Too slow.

[newracer]

Want to go fast you need more $$$, $249.

This one is brushless and will haul ass.

http://www.hobbyzone.com/rc_planes_parkzone_stryker_c.htm

http://www.hobbyzone.com/images/airplanes/PKZ4200-350.jpg

[newracer]

In between, $179

http://www.hobbyzone.com/rc_planes_parkzone_p51d_mustang.htm

http://www.hobbyzone.com/images/airplanes/pkz1500-370.jpg

[OFRD_GRL]

Una - go to Wally World and get an Air Hogs plane - pretty hard to destroy, and a lot of fun for ~$20.


hehe i already emailed this to the hubby for him to pick up on way home from work LMFAO

however i can destroy ANYTHING with ease :D :D :D:shrug:

[Oscar]

lol i got a remote plane a month ago... it had self correcting controls and everything.. for beginners who suck at flying planes
and it ended like this:


Hey look she flies like she drives :D

[OFRD_GRL]

haha funny. however my FJ doesnt need electrical tape to hold it together :)
altho it is bashed in LMFAO

[ColoradoSkier]

I need more experience before I go really fast and 3ch. But when I do, this looks like a lot of fun...

http://www.hobby-lobby.com/images/sfm290.jpg
http://www.hobby-lobby.com/executive-jet.htm?c1=ezone&source=warfor&kw=exjet

Supposedly this is the 3ch Air Hogs plane - http://tinyurl.com/23x2ao
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41ddKDNfc7L._SS260_.jpg

And Una - he can also get them at Target or Toys R Us if he is close by.

For flying in bigger wind than today (which was pretty calm) there is something that looks like a C-130 that might be fun to have (supposedly only available at Toys R Us):
http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-39858413893234_1970_659200

[ColoradoSkier]

Want to go fast you need more $$$, $249.

This one is brushless and will haul ass.

http://www.hobbyzone.com/rc_planes_parkzone_stryker_c.htm

http://www.hobbyzone.com/images/airplanes/PKZ4200-350.jpg

Should I be concerned that they sell a "crash kit" for this?

Order a ParkZone F-27C Stryker and receive a free crash kit comprised of complete hatch set (PKZ4213), propeller (PKZ1009), elevons with control horns (PKZ4233), and motor mount (PKZ4234) (over $20 value.)

[OFRD_GRL]

thats it.. there a park behind my APT... everyone bring your planes and well have a blast! hehehe

[Oscar]

I would say only if you have to use it.

[newracer]

3 ch is pretty easy actually, throttle on one stick (or lever on back of controller) and the other stick controls elevator and aileron (which are mixed on delta wings). Not that much different than what you have been flying.

[newracer]

Should I be concerned that they sell a "crash kit" for this?
No, it just contains the stuff that might break. No plane is indestructible but the main fuselage on that one almost is. You will break things like props, control arms and motor mounts.

If you want to try one similar let me know, you can fly (or try to fly) anything I got.

[ColoradoSkier]

Cool, thanks for the offer.

Saw a good video of the stryker on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VB5aXyXdrQ

[ColoradoSkier]

Here's a little more about the 3ch Air Hogs plane. Not much, but a little.

http://www.airhogs.com/hangar.jsp?1561

[newracer]

Here is some of what I have

brushless 10 cell on this, very fast but pretty easy to control, 36" wing span
http://www.edgerc.com/Dev%20Box%20Lable%20img.jpg

kit setup with lipo cells, can fly slow or kind of fast, only 28" wing span
http://www.speedwing.net/images/mini-twin_top_right_320x320.jpg

brushless setup on this, very fast, almost unlimited vertical, roll rate about 6-8 per second, 24" wing span
http://www.speedwing.net/images/400mk2.jpg

[Colorado 5.9]

Should I be concerned that they sell a "crash kit" for this?


I have one of these too. I bought the plug & play version so I could use my spectrum radio with it. They are a bit hard to fly. Not a beginers plane for sure.

I'll post up a vid of a flight later.

[ColoradoSkier]

They have a "B" version of the stryker which is cheaper (same as the P-51), probably not as high of performance or something...

[newracer]

B version has a brushed motor, C version is brushless

brushless is the way to go :thumbsup:

[ColoradoSkier]

Wow, that results in a significant $$ increase, just for brushless...

If anyone here likes the Hobbyzone stuff, here is a link to their scratch and dent discounts... http://tinyurl.com/2tvlsq

[newracer]

It's a different motor and speed controller, all the money in these things are in the electronics. My 36" plane was only $40 for the fuselage, I put about $230 in electronics in it not including batteries.

ETA: the C model also has lipo batteries and a lipo charger, lipo are a lot lighter, much better

ETA2: looks like the radio equipment in the C is also a lot better

[Sound_Man]

I have built and flown a lot of RC planes. I really like 4 controls, ailerons, V & H stabilizers and throttle. 3 control drives me nuts...

[ColoradoSkier]

http://www.rcplanephotos.com/RC%20Groups/MG_4735.jpg

[OFRD_GRL]

theres a little dude in it, i like it LOL

[OFRD_GRL]

wheeee
im going to wally world right now and get 2 of em, that way if we can fly em good enough me and rich can divebomb each others planes :D

[ColoradoSkier]

So, how are they working out for you?

[OFRD_GRL]

we didnt get em, they were all out.
soooo we got rc trucks (see my post - i got your jeep thing)

however rich got me a sweet rc plane on ebay with 2 motors and stuff for $0.01 :D so waiting for that.

[ColoradoSkier]

I keep hearing of Wally World being out, or having various things on clearance. The 2 near me are not out, nor putting the ones I really want on clearance. Oh well.

I'll check out your Jeep thread.

[newracer]

Want to go fast you need more $$$, $249.

This one is brushless and will haul ass.

http://www.hobbyzone.com/rc_planes_parkzone_stryker_c.htm

http://www.hobbyzone.com/images/airplanes/PKZ4200-350.jpg

Wow, that results in a significant $$ increase, just for brushless...

If anyone here likes the Hobbyzone stuff, here is a link to their scratch and dent discounts... http://tinyurl.com/2tvlsqJust FYI the Hobbytown up here has the Stryker C for $199.99. Should be the same price at their Westminster store.

[ColoradoSkier]

I think I am going to get used to the micros first, then get a 3ch trainer and get accustomed to that for awhile, before I drop $200 on a high performance flyer like that. Would probably wind up like a Jart in my hands right now.

[ColoradoSkier]

By the way, if anyone is looking for an inexpensive 'toy' plane that flys well, Toys R Us has the Mini XPV on sale for $20 right now. Pretty good deal.

[newracer]

Thanks for the heads up, I think I'll pick up a couple for my sons.

[ColoradoSkier]

Haven't flown it yet, but will be taking it out tomorrow. Have 3 planes now, and since each runs for about 10 minutes on a charge, it's perfect for a lunch hour trip to the park.

[newracer]

rcgroups rave about it

I wonder if it would take off from a treadmill? :D

[ColoradoSkier]

rcgroups rave about it

That's why I grabbed one. I really want to get one of the 3ch Air Hogs when they hit the shelves, but until then, the three I have ought to do. Even if I am becoming dissatisfied with how the AA Jet flies. Might have to get a Sport instead.

[newracer]

Went during lunch and picked up two for my boys. I don't know if I can wait until x-mas though. :D

[ColoradoSkier]

Going to take mine out tomorrow. Already removed the throttle return spring. For the other 2 planes I have, removing that spring has been awesome in terms of making it easier to fly.

Of course, getting it out of the MiniXPV controller was a bit more of a project than getting it out of the other two controllers.

[newracer]

Just FYI if any of these planes have an on/off switch and they are lipo batteries you can charge them and they will hold the charge for a long time. I have let my lipo batteries sit for almost a year and they still have almost the full charge.

Throttle return spring is the suck, I will be removing those.

[ColoradoSkier]

Good to know - thanks!

I have seen that the charge times of the Mini XPV are longer than the Air Hogs - I'll time it tomorrow.

[newracer]

Air Hogs might be Nicd or Nimh batteries. Those can be charged at a much higher rate. Most lipo can only be charged at 1C, where C is the capacity of the battery. So almost all lipo take about an hour to get a full charge. Although a lipo will get about 80% charge fairly quick at the 1C.

I know the Mini XPV has a lipo in it but not sure if it has a switch.

[ColoradoSkier]

The Estes 4160 has LiPo too, takes about 20-30 mins to charge with a fresh set of batteries...

[ColoradoSkier]

Why are calm, no-wind days so rare here? Didn't realize how rare until the past couple weeks when I started flying these things.

Initial thought on the Mini XPV - wow. Seems to be VERY bulletproof. Flight characteristics are similar to the 4160, although the 4160 does glide better (wing design). It was a lot of fun for the brief time I was out there, and can definitely see where it would be great in less windy conditions. Only thing I would change is to add a zero throttle turn system. It even acted like it wanted to take off from the ground! Hopefully it is more calm out tomorrow.

The AA Jet is starting to grow on me. Flew it with a dime in the nose today, definitely helped in the wind.

[OFRD_GRL]

tell me about it.. im trying to spray paint the new RC bodys.....
the wind is NOT cooperating

[OFRD_GRL]

i love being home all day, ruins surprises the hubby has in store for me..

so the HOTTEST ups driver i have EVER seen knocks on the door.. (still in my jammies.. lucky for the UPS drive i guess LMFAO)

hands me this box....

(of course i open it even tho its for rich)

because its for me anyways LOL

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w234/alwaysoffroad/DSC03928.jpg

[ColoradoSkier]

Don't be too happy until you see how it flies. Looks like an off brand of some sort...

[OFRD_GRL]

he got it for literally a penny off ebay so who cares :)

i dont care how it flies, i cant fly em for shit anyways..

i care how it crashes (preferably multiple times without problem) LMFAO

[ColoradoSkier]

I nosed my new Mini XPV straight into the ground a few times today. It bounced like a rubber ball, and there was no damage that I could see. This thing is sturdy, and for $20, a very good deal.

[newracer]

This is your UPS driver?!?!?!? I'd be doing all my shopping online if that was mine!!!!

http://woodyinla.photos.military.com/photos/169743108-M.jpg

[newracer]

I nosed my new Mini XPV straight into the ground a few times today. It bounced like a rubber ball, and there was no damage that I could see. This thing is sturdy, and for $20, a very good deal.Good to hear, my boys will be a good test of it's crash-ablity. :D

[OFRD_GRL]

no no no, my UPS driver was of the dangley sort...

HE was smokin hot tho LOL

[ColoradoSkier]

Make sure you film this plane crashing too.

Hope the winds are calm today, going to take the planes out again.

[ColoradoSkier]

Here is something else that could be fun:

http://static.flickr.com/2023/1935730796_5ace11cf07.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/merlins_world/1935730796/)

It looks like it actually surfaces and dives! I'll bet it is way more than $20 though... (click pic for larger size and see the stream of pics)

[OFRD_GRL]

thats kinda cool.

im getting rich a hovercraft for xmas... it does 40mph IIRC... $60 at radio shack

i will def video crashing the plane :D

[newracer]

Get a battleship that shots steel ball bearings.

http://www.rcwarships.org/rcwarships/

[ColoradoSkier]

Get a battleship that shots steel ball bearings.

http://www.rcwarships.org/rcwarships/

I looked into that pretty seriously about 10 years ago. On paper it looked like a lot of fun. Then I went and watched a battle in some pond down in the DTC - was kinda boring.

I do want to get a watercraft of some kind for summer though, give the kids on the beach something to do when we are out waterskiing.

[newracer]

The Zig Zag Racers are supposed to be pretty fun, never tried one though.

http://www.hobbyzone.com/rc_boats_hobbyzone_zig_zag_racer_3.htm

[ColoradoSkier]

Had about 10 minutes of calm air - virtually no wind. This Mini XPV handles great. A zero throttle turn would be nice, but as is, with the throttle return spring removed, this plane is fun!

[ColoradoSkier]

Here's a sweet mod if you have a helo...

http://www.rc-fliegerfilme.de/flash/wallhalla1.htm

it also has a lot of good indoor flying footage.

[Colorado 5.9]

Gota love the Germans. There's nothing like that in the US.

The twin rotor gyro in the first vid was cool. Then the Dragon & fish.

I have a couple of night blades for my 450's. I just have not installed them. This next spring I'll put them on. I still have to get some light string for the canopy & boom.

I grabbed a couple of LED wands from Wallgreens this halloween. I'll be tering them apart to install the leds on my little Park ZoneCesna so I can fly it after dark.

[ColoradoSkier]

How do you like that Cessna? Seen good things about it.

I picked up a copy of "Backyard Flyer" last week. In the back was an ad for a pretty big r/c plane show in Phoenix next spring. Was kind of tempted to go check it out.

Also - the K-mart ad this weekend had a picture of an AeroAce Biplane next to the words "Buy One, Get The Next Half Off" (or something like that), which could be a good deal if you are looking to score some AirHogs planes. Might swing by there on the way home tonight to see what they have.

[supremebeholder]

I just picked up this thing. ( http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXKLV7&P=0)

I?m hoping that it will be durable enough that I?m not worried about crashing the whole time I?m flying it. I think that?s one of the reasons I like the micros so much.

I think I?ll still pick up the 3-ch Air Hogs when it comes out.

[ColoradoSkier]

Looks like a good way to get comfy with 3ch. I agree, I'll be getting the Air Hogs 3ch when it hits the shelves (you can order now from http://www.play-asia.com or something like that).

I swung by K-Mart at Broadway and Alameda. Not much selection, and everything cost more than it does at Wal-Mart, Target or TRU. Decided to pass on the buy one, get one 50% off deal since the selection was so limited.

[ColoradoSkier]

For $90, the Cox Warbirds (RTF) look like fun...

http://static.rcgroups.com/forums/attachments/2/0/3/5/2/a637196-154-DSC02898sm.jpg

[Ghettojeep]

Picked up an Air Hogs Aero Ace

For Around $30 or though I'm pretty impressed. I flew it around the back yard, and although it's only the two channel, throttle, and yaw, it's actually a farking blast. My backyard is pretty small, and I had it doing loops, figure 8's and all kinda crap after about 4 flights. Taking it down to a little more open field for one more shot before dark.

Fun as hell for the cash, but I can see batts being expensive and the life span prolly isnt that long, but it seems pretty tough. I took the decals off, and I think that helped a bit too. Might help hold it together but the payoff in flight is worth it.

Basically to turn then gain altitude you have to bank it one way then hit opposite yaw about 1/2 way through the turn to keep it level. Just a tip

http://www.bigboyscheaptoys.com/sitebuilder/images/aajetred-450x600.jpg

[ColoradoSkier]

That's the one I have. One more tip for you - under the nose there is a seam where two pieces come together. Put a dime in there and it will fly a little more level and not try to climb (and stall) so aggressively.

If you like this one, you should pick up an Estes 4160 (yellow and purple one) from Wal-Mart, K-Mart or Toys R Us. I think it is a lot more fun than the AA Jet in an open field setting.

I'd also highly recommend the Mini XPV from Toys R Us ($19.99 through Wednesday IIRC).

[Ghettojeep]

Just got done w/ a quicky flight. So much more fun in a little bit more open space. Was flying it in about a football field sized area.

It is a tad bit light in the nose, so I'm gonna throw a dime on there or maybe a couple of thumb tacks.

I had a sustained flight of prob close to 10 min or so. Got it doing laps around the field, ran it through a couple of sculptures and chit. It's a lot of fun. Once you get it trimmed out it flys pretty well. But like you said it stalls pretty easily.

I'm chargin it again now, and am gonna do another flight. You can really extend the flight time by letting it glide a lot.

I can see w/ some weight in the nose you maybe able to get some steeper dive angles and prob build some more speed for aerobatics.

Damn is this thing fun. Had a couple of guys out walking their dog come over while I had it buzzing around. They were floored by the cost and what it could do.

Fun lil toy. I've always wanted a plane, raced cars and trucks growing up, but never got into the air stuff.

Have a feeling that that may change. :D Cuz if this little one is so fun, I can imagine the others.

woot! waiting for the light to go off. :D

[ColoradoSkier]

You are in the same spot I was in a couple of weeks ago. Now I have three of the little things and looking to add more.

You really need to go to http://www.rcgroups.com/micro-rtf-420/

And if you have a Toys R Us near you, go buy a Mini XPV for $20.

[supremebeholder]

With that model, if you remove the throttle spring you can consistently fly it around on 1/2-3/4 throttle. That really helps lengthen the flight time.

Also, those lipo's last a long time if you treat them right. I've still got the original battery in my biplane and that thing is a year and a half old.

[ColoradoSkier]

I have taken the throttle springs out of all 3 planes I have - helps a ton.

Radio Shack has the "Starscream" F-22 looking thing on sale for $30 right now, normally $40. Thinking about picking one up this week.

http://rsk.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pRS1C-3767582w345.jpg

[ColoradoSkier]

Someone took an AA Sport and modded it into an A-10. Pretty good job really...

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a46/mrkil2/IMG_4095.jpg

[ColoradoSkier]

Great video some guy got from an on-board camera on his ParkZone P-51...

http://www.rcgroups.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=24550&sort=1&cat=500&page=1

[Ghettojeep]

So these things really don't like wind lol. Tried to fly it in a parking lot last night.... Not so good.

Good tip on the throttle spring, I may have to take that sucker outta there.

[ColoradoSkier]

Nope, they don't like wind. So no flying for me today.

I took my AA Jet out in front of the house the other day. The wind got a hold of it. I kept it nosed into the wind, and next thing I knew it was about 80 feet up in the air. Had enough control to get it back down to the ground. Was really worried it was going to spend the winter in a tree.

[Ghettojeep]

Welp, mine was fun... Took it out to some little league fields when the wind died down. I took it a little far outta range and it got caught in an updraft.... Landed on the roof of the Boulder mental health center... Not a good place to be walking around asking if anyone saw a little white airplane. Haha.

Made the mistake of letting it get more then 100 ft away from me or so, but before that I was having some great flights.

Dammit. Guess I need to get another one. :D Saw a modded controller on Ebay that allowed you to contol the steering independent of the throttle. Seems like a cool mod. Have you seen that one on the rc board?

[ColoradoSkier]

Yes, bunch of mods on the rc board. Save your "extra" transmitter, you can experiment on it. If you don't want to, I'll take it. :evil:

[newracer]

Nope, they don't like wind. So no flying for me today.

I took my AA Jet out in front of the house the other day. The wind got a hold of it. I kept it nosed into the wind, and next thing I knew it was about 80 feet up in the air. Had enough control to get it back down to the ground. Was really worried it was going to spend the winter in a tree.
My brother in law lost his first plane that way. It kept going higher and higher and farther away until it went out of range. He lives in a canyon near Rifle. It snowed that night and it was a white plane, never seen again.

[Ghettojeep]

Yes, bunch of mods on the rc board. Save your "extra" transmitter, you can experiment on it. If you don't want to, I'll take it. :evil:

Cool, I'll have to check that out. Damn these things, I think I'm going to go buy another one tom. :D

Seriously thinking of picking up some sort of trainer too, not sure if I want to go electric or a gas model. Hobby zone seems to have some good package deals. I'll have to do some research 1st.

Good thing is I still have my tekin charger from back in the day from when I raced rc cars. That would add greatly to a real electric as I already have a dope charger. At least dope for 15 years ago or so. Haha.

[newracer]

Go electric, there are a lot more places you can fly an electric plane, most parks for example.

[supremebeholder]

I got my first few flights on the trainer I posted above and I'm pretty happy with it. Flight number 1 ended when I slammed full speed into the side of my house. I was worried but the plastic nose took the impact well.

Flight two ended not so well. When I launched it was nice and calm out but after about 5 minutes of flying the wind picked up to maybe 10-12mph gusts. I was at several hundred feet when this happened and I spent the next 5 minutes slowly descending. Then when I get it down low enough to start my landing approach, the wind really picks up and I couldn't keep it pointed into the wind anymore. The gust blew it sideways and before I could get control again it spiraled down and crashed into some shrub oak.

I almost sheared the wing completely off on a branch and I had several smaller nicks and dings all along the wing. Everything else held up well though, including the tail, which I didn't have a replacement for. I have a spare wing and they're only $10 anyway but I was able to fix the nearly sheared wing with packing tape and now it is as rigid as ever.

http://www.theperfectpaper.biz/plane1.jpg

http://www.theperfectpaper.biz/plane2.jpg

I took the plane out this morning and got three more flights out of it without any problems. I now have 3 successful landings on it too.

I think the lesson is that I can?t fly something so slow and light when there?s any hint of wind outside. Yesterday was gusty almost all day and I thought I could get a flight in during a quiet period. Bad idea. This morning it was snowing lightly and there was almost no wind. It was so much easier to fly and land in those conditions.

I?m amazed at how easy it was to transition to the 3-ch plane from the 2-ch. I rarely had to consciously think about the controls. It went very naturally. I had a similar electric trainer when I was about 15 and at that time the learning curve was too steep for me to enjoy.

I also need to find a larger field to fly in. I?m on six acres. Most of that is open and once I get above 50-60 feet I have plenty of room, but there are a few major obstacles I have to dodge when I take off and land, and that doesn?t leave me much room for error.

[ColoradoSkier]

Wind is the biggest thing about these light planes. As for good places to fly, I fly in a large park near work that doubles as a soccer complex in the summer - no trees in the middle, just on the outer edges.

I also have an elementary school that has a huge baseball field and soccer field back to back with no fences. It works well too.

IIRC, everything I have been reading on RC Groups says to use the Super Cub as a trainer ( http://www.hobbyzone.com/rc_planes_hobbyzone_super_cub.htm - $159 ) and you will be very happy. I am likely going to go that route at some point.

http://www.hobbyzone.com/images/airplanes/HBZ7100-350.jpg

[newracer]

IIRC, everything I have been reading on RC Groups says to use the Super Cub as a trainer ( http://www.hobbyzone.com/rc_planes_hobbyzone_super_cub.htm - $159 ) and you will be very happy. I am likely going to go that route at some point.

http://www.hobbyzone.com/images/airplanes/HBZ7100-350.jpg



Too slow.

;)

[newracer]

Wind can be really fun too. I can get my GWS Tiger Moth to fly backwards.

http://www.rchobbies.org/images/GWS1020-250.jpg

[ColoradoSkier]

It might be slow, but isn't that the idea for a proper trainer? Then, when I get the Stryker, it won't be an expensive lawn dart. ;)

[ColoradoSkier]

Picked up a StarScream at lunch from Radio Shack. We'll see how it flies tomorrow.

[Ghettojeep]

Wind is the biggest thing about these light planes. As for good places to fly, I fly in a large park near work that doubles as a soccer complex in the summer - no trees in the middle, just on the outer edges.

I also have an elementary school that has a huge baseball field and soccer field back to back with no fences. It works well too.

IIRC, everything I have been reading on RC Groups says to use the Super Cub as a trainer ( http://www.hobbyzone.com/rc_planes_hobbyzone_super_cub.htm - $159 ) and you will be very happy. I am likely going to go that route at some point.

http://www.hobbyzone.com/images/airplanes/HBZ7100-350.jpg

Kind of funny before I saw this post. I bought one of these today in Boulder for $131.99 plus tax.http://www.horizonhobby.com/StoreLocator/Default.aspx?Search=True&ZipCode=80302&Miles=30&OnlineStoresOnly=False I haven't flown it yet, as it was missing the transmitter. :rolleyes: I have to go back tomorrow and talk to the manager and see whats up. Seems like a cool plane, fit and finish is good for a chinese made product.

I think they are dropping the price b/c the brushless Li Po models are due right before christmas. Who knows, maybe I'll return it and get one of the Spitfires or T-28's. :D It would suck to fly it into the ground though. And it does seem that the cubs are the chosen trainer.

Also, I guess I had an X-Twin and not an AA. I bought an AA today and flew it around. Not to sure but I think the X-Twin had more power, as I could get it to loop. Can't seem to do it w/ the AA unless I throw it. However the AA seems like it is a little more stable and more balanced. Could be I'm getting to be a better pilot. The 1st flight left my hand and returned and never touched the ground. :cool: The AA is really easy to fly laps and figure 8's and flybys. I'm getting to the point where I can do some barn storming of sorts. lol

[cheftyler]

Hmmmmmmm...onsale for $40...
http://www.hobbytron.com/RCAerialEagleB52ElectricAirplane757B52.html

[ColoradoSkier]

Check out this video of a JATO (jet assisted take off) for a r/c glider:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIcAXrHRY7M

He used 6 class D motors, 3 on each side, placed a quarter inch in front of the CG at 45 degrees. It's pretty cool.

[ColoradoSkier]

Hmmmmmmm...onsale for $40...
http://www.hobbytron.com/RCAerialEagleB52ElectricAirplane757B52.html

They call it a B-52, but it looks like a B-29 to me...

[ColoradoSkier]

Just flew the Starscream - HOLY COW. Way faster than any of the others I have. Handles really well. Looks awesome in the air. But I have to take it back because the Tx/ Rx combo sucks. I guess they make it in a 49Mhz, so hopefully I can get one (less interference).

Still like the others, but this would easily be considered the high performance model of the group.

[cheftyler]

They call it a B-52, but it looks like a B-29 to me...

You are correct.

[cheftyler]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Iy2NeLN1bM&feature=related

:drool:

[Ghettojeep]

Well I flew the cub at dusk for the 1st time today. It went ok for about 3 min It was banking pretty hard and it was hard for me to keep it from going left but I was able to make some long race car laps. I was kinda sketched to get it higher due to the trim issue. I was low and had to bring it down a little fast plane took that just fine.

2nd flight was similar in results. It wasnt trimmed that well out of the box but I figured I'd give it another shot w/ just the contoller attempted adjustments

3rd time I ended up crashing it right after launch and sustained a bit of damage to the rear fusalge ie snapped it off :rolleyes:. I think I didn't throw it hard enough up in the air and gave her a cold shot. Ended up hittin some elevator to try and pull her up, and kinda dragged the tail into the ground and whiplashed the plane lol. :D

All the damage is fixed up now, and I added some mods from the rc site you posted up. Put some larger diameter field wheels on it, and some tape in identified key points. So it should be good to go tom if it's calm out. I need to get a better launch for sure though.

I figured the trim issue out I believe, the turnbuckle on the rudder shaft needed to be cranked down a bit to shorten it up. Now from looking at it, i think it should be fine.

[Ghettojeep]

Check out this video of a JATO (jet assisted take off) for a r/c glider:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIcAXrHRY7M

He used 6 class D motors, 3 on each side, placed a quarter inch in front of the CG at 45 degrees. It's pretty cool.

Thats sick :thumbsup:

[Ghettojeep]

Just flew the Starscream - HOLY COW. Way faster than any of the others I have. Handles really well. Looks awesome in the air. But I have to take it back because the Tx/ Rx combo sucks. I guess they make it in a 49Mhz, so hopefully I can get one (less interference).

Still like the others, but this would easily be considered the high performance model of the group.

Can it do loops?

[ColoradoSkier]

That jet is awesome. This vid is slightly OT, but still cool (Flight Sim X) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fej9EWWLSsw

Sorry to hear the Cub crashed.

The SS doesn't loop per se (yet). I was having some major control issues with it. Took it back and got the 49Mhz one. Might take it out today since the weather next week is supposed to suck.

[ColoradoSkier]

Supposedly this ducted fan is going to be in stores next Friday at $30. We'll see...

http://static.rcgroups.com/forums/attachments/1/7/4/2/3/9/a1573691-196-AHjetscream_pkg.jpg

[Ghettojeep]

the 2 channel backyard flyers are great, but nothing compared to a larger 3 channel! I can only imagine adding ailerons!!!!

So I just got back from a flight session, and I'm all grins. :D

Brought out the lil AA and the Cub to the Boulder soccer complex out off Iris. Which is huge, there are at least 10 or so fields, if not room for more. The whole thing is nice turf. There are soccer goals out there but it's not really a problem since they are so spread out.

Anyway onto the action. It was pretty calm wind, just a slight breeze from the SE under 3-5 mph I'd say so the conditions were great.

I took the AA up to test the wind, and just practice a couple laps, especially flying the plane with the nose right at me. Really concentrating on how I was thinking to fly the bigger one later. Noting the wind direction, etc.

Then onto the repaired Cub, seems the repairs last night turned into a tuning session and a little more modding. Got the bigger wheels on better, and added some custom graphics. I hated the red set up, I did this w/ checkered tape from Mcguckins it is also reinforcement in key spots, along with some fiberglass reinforced packing tape in other key spots. I think it turned out pretty good. Kinda like a flying checkered cab.. :D Made it really easy to see, especially the orientation of the plane.

I had 3 flights which lasted I'd say at least a 1/2 hour or so in all. My adjustments to the rudder trimmed the plane almost perfectly w/ a last min turnbuckle crank. I also moved the rudder wire in on the mounting to give it more throw.

Hand launched it w/ full throttle, making sure to put it into the wind, and gave her a pretty good shove, both out and up into the air.

All I can say is WOW!!! Plane performed great, it would climb well under full throttle, the control surfaces and throttle were extremely smooth and responsive. I was able to maintain altitude, climb and dive at many different throttle/elevator positions. Made a couple laps w/ some long straights and got some really high altitude up over 300 ft I'm sure. Then also was able to do some dives, figure 8's etc, even bring it close to the ground and flying it around. I tried a couple loops, but they were more like really big stall turns as I couldn't get it to come completely over. It was also towards the end of the flight so the batt was getting low. W/ my fully peaked 8 cell I'm sure it could power right through them.

Landings went fairly well. The 1st two I was able to make good approaches into the wind, but I did nose them both over. On the 3rd flight I knew I was getting low on batt, and was running the 7 cell, and was bringing her down slow, making some adjustments cuz I wanted a 3 pointer. :D The cub has a feature that cuts the motor and allows a restart when really low on juice. This happened at about 7 ft or so, and I didn't have time to restart it. I was able to cushion it w. a little elevator flare though.

Here are some pics of the planes. I'm charging now, and am gonna head out there one more time b/f dark. Hopefully the cub survives. :D


The 3 channel controls are great. I can't say enough about this plane. What a blast. I'm going to add the module that allows you to do arial drops, already thinking of a way to attach the lil AA plane to the belly, and let it out high overhead. This would require another pilot of course. haha

Box is an old paintball gun case made into my makeshift field box. Mods include the graphics, reinforced tail... :rolleyes: And dubro 2 3/4 inch foam wheels modded to fit the stock gear, tail wheel is a larger then stock 1 1/4 foam Dubro, slightly reamed to fit the stock rear axle.
http://a725.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/68/l_6757f188d1037775a009374783d78bfc.jpg
http://a595.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/2/l_4fd30fa9660e361611cc941827d34a2a.jpg

Also may have a friend with me so I maybe able to get some action shots, and possibly a couple short vids w/ the digi camera.

[Ghettojeep]

Oh, also had a problem with the batteries not sitting snug in the transmitter, and
causing it to loose power if shaken, etc. Not sure if this had anything to do/ w/ yesterdays misadventures. I really didn't want this happening today, so it was remedied by adding a rectangle of bubble wrap b/t the batts and the transmitter cover. Would be easier to use a strip of open celled foam glued to the trans cover, but didn't have any on hand.

[ColoradoSkier]

Just be careful of that bubble wrap melting from the heat of the battery. Good report though, glad you like the plane.

[Ghettojeep]

Well, back to the hanger... Tempted the wind again it was gusting pretty hard, and the cub ended up taking a nose dive. It was waaaay too windy, but I thought I had it.... Cracked the firewall/motor mount and killed the prop, but the damage is fixable. I have a couple baseball games tomorrow, but if it's calm, I'll try again if I have the time.

Good tip on the b wrap, but do you think the transmitter AA's can get that hot?

Lesson learned again... Patience w/ the wind... :D

Some video to follow. :D

[Ghettojeep]

Here's some carnage for yall!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=728jhTWIHVw

[cheftyler]

Nice :D

It's 'chute FWIW :D

[Brett N Colorado]

Damn you guys! I had to go get one of the sky rangers. My first ever attempt at flying yesterday morning eneded up badly. I should have read the directions I guess....
So after re-attaching the nose that I had broken off. I took it out again this afternoon.
I had it working great!!! It's a ton of fun for sure.
Even that high altitude landing on top of the two story house 200 yards away was fun. Ya, I hit the wind at the end of the range of the transmitter and awaaaaay she went. Left a note on the door for the owner to call if they find it blown onto thier yard.

I see another one in my future.. lol

Brett

[ColoradoSkier]

Damn you guys! I had to go get one of the sky rangers. My first ever attempt at flying yesterday morning eneded up badly. I should have read the directions I guess....
So after re-attaching the nose that I had broken off. I took it out again this afternoon.
I had it working great!!! It's a ton of fun for sure.
Even that high altitude landing on top of the two story house 200 yards away was fun. Ya, I hit the wind at the end of the range of the transmitter and awaaaaay she went. Left a note on the door for the owner to call if they find it blown onto thier yard.

I see another one in my future.. lol

Brett

Which Sky Ranger did you get?

[Ghettojeep]

Damn you guys! I had to go get one of the sky rangers. My first ever attempt at flying yesterday morning eneded up badly. I should have read the directions I guess....
So after re-attaching the nose that I had broken off. I took it out again this afternoon.
I had it working great!!! It's a ton of fun for sure.
Even that high altitude landing on top of the two story house 200 yards away was fun. Ya, I hit the wind at the end of the range of the transmitter and awaaaaay she went. Left a note on the door for the owner to call if they find it blown onto thier yard.

I see another one in my future.. lol

Brett
That sucks about loosing the plane, I lost a little one, I guess thats what happens w/ this hobby. :D

Flew the Cun again today w. the repaired motor mount. These things are easy to repair. Brings me back to when I raced cars.

Flew down in Parker at around 4. I had 2 baseball games, but I had it w/ me and all charged up. When the game got done, it had just got nice and sunny w/ virtually no wind. Lol I find myself looking at flags, leaves, trees, birds, etc to check the wind.

Anywho, plane flew fine after the fix. I'm still a little twitchy in flight and would like to smooth it out some. But I had 2 full batt fights, got the loops down, and actually landed the bird w/ out sending the nose over. Actually got 2 loops back to back, and some crazy flip turn thingys down pat.

You def have to stay cool on the sticks and not freeze up, especially when making dives, etc or if your plane gets pushed by the wind.

[ColoradoSkier]

I really need a 3ch...

[Ghettojeep]

I really need a 3ch...

It adds so much fun, I haven't flown the AA much since I got the Cub. The backyard flyers are cool but having more speed and control is sick!!!! I can see the need to step up to a 4 channel pretty soon here or perhaps an aileron 3 channel like a P-51 or Spitfire. :cool:

I had the Cub out early this morning, but had to land her upside down :D , and busted a prop. I was doing some inverted flights through an S pattern, get really high, then nose her over w/ up elevator, cruise around upside down for a little while, then to bring it back level you just do an upside down 1/2 loop w/ down elevator. It's actually pretty easy to do . My plane will pretty much hold level w/ full up elevator and throttle on the 7 cell, haven't tried the 8.

I was set up for a reg loop but ended up deciding to bring it inverted instead half way through my dive. Which ate up all my altitude. Well I ended up about 25 ft off the ground, which didn't leave room for me to loop back down and put the plane upright. I'm quite suprised I was able to bring it down w/ out more damage. It wasn't that bad of a landing. Had a nice little upside down flare and everything. :D

[ColoradoSkier]

Everything I read says stay away from the P-51 or really any warbird until you have substantial aileron time.

[Ghettojeep]

Can def see from the videos that they are pretty high performance in comparison to the Cub. And you could def get yourself into trouble pretty quick with the spin rates of those planes.

I'm eying the T-28 as the next step. But I'll fly the cub for a while until I can really throw it around on a dime. Plus fly it w/out repairs between each flight lol :thumbsup:

[ColoradoSkier]

Probably ought to work on properly aligned landings... :flipoff2:

[Brett N Colorado]

Which Sky Ranger did you get?

I got the 4160 yellow one. The lady called me and said theyhave it off the roof and I'll get it into the body shop and try again.. lol

Brett

[ColoradoSkier]

Take the throttle spring off - makes it easier to fly. I love my 4160.

[Ghettojeep]

Probably ought to work on properly aligned landings... :flipoff2:

Um yeah about those landings. I took a really hard one today. The plane was cutting out and acting quirky, turned out at some point I had turned on the ACT switch on the controller. Which resulted in a 20-30 ft nose dive after a loop. Needless to say this feature has been stripped off my plane. I didn't install it in the new body. :rolleyes: :D

Yeah, I'm gonna wait on a faster more expensive plane, as I just dumped $30 bucks into this one in parts. I did have a couple good landings though. These planes are tough. Mine should have broke way before this.

[ColoradoSkier]

Good to know it is durable. This will probably be the next step for me, after playing with a 3ch Airhogs or two. Hoping I can get one of those Jetscreams or a Rolling Fury soon.

[Ghettojeep]

Yeah, it maybe good to wait for the new LI PO cub too, will have a brushless motor, etc.

Seems like the place i was flying is off limits. Oops... There's a couple of local fields around, but you have to have an AMA license for insurance reasons. Guys are pretty cool out there. It's a bit intimidating though, guys are out there w/ a couple of G's in equipment and I have a $150 rtf. :rolleyes: :D

Some of the real deal planes are just straight crazy!!! There were some guys out with Helo's and gliders too. I was amazed by what the choppers can do now. Last one I saw fly was over 10 years ago.

[ColoradoSkier]

That's part of the reason I want to stay small. I'd rather just go to the local park instead of having to go to a field, join the AMA, etc.

You should look on YouTube for r/c turbines... :D

[supremebeholder]

When I was bringing my plane inside yesterday, I couldn?t help but consider dropping a few hints that I wouldn?t mind getting a 4-ch for Christmas. :D

I?ve got probably ten full battery flights on mine, maybe 2 hours total, and I haven?t crashed it since the first day. As long as there?s no wind, it is surprisingly easy to fly. I can successfully perform all of the maneuvers that my plane is capable of, but now it seems like even the 3-ch is lacking. While I?m out there I can?t help but think, if only I had ailerons?

Unfortunately, I can?t go much bigger or faster without having to find another place to fly, and I don?t want to do that because I like the convenience of flying in my backyard.

[supremebeholder]

I was amazed by what the choppers can do now. Last one I saw fly was over 10 years ago.

Probably a repost but: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gi7G-VzU2r4

[ColoradoSkier]

This might be basic anymore, but it is still cool...

http://static.flickr.com/2347/2047669635_1fa2ab7079.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/60857066@N00/2047669635/)

[ColoradoSkier]

The Jetscream will reportedly be at Toys R Us on Friday morning. Might have to go see for myself.

[Ghettojeep]

This might be basic anymore, but it is still cool...

http://static.flickr.com/2347/2047669635_1fa2ab7079.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/60857066@N00/2047669635/)

They weren't doing anything as crazy as that vid. But they were hovering upsided down, doing hammerheads, inverted loops, etc, etc. Plus a bunch of stuff I have no idea what the names were. :D

Flew the cub at a park for a couple batts this morning. I'm getting better and am alot smoother in flight. The moderate wind of 5 mph was no big deal. Landing has gotten alot better too, Able to make approaches that leave me mostly rubber down in short grass. If the calm air holds, I'm going to try to sneak in one more session between errands and work at 4. B/c I know for the next couple of days it's gonna be crap outside.


Intrested to see how that new one will fly.

[Ghettojeep]

When I was bringing my plane inside yesterday, I couldn?t help but consider dropping a few hints that I wouldn?t mind getting a 4-ch for Christmas. :D

I?ve got probably ten full battery flights on mine, maybe 2 hours total, and I haven?t crashed it since the first day. As long as there?s no wind, it is surprisingly easy to fly. I can successfully perform all of the maneuvers that my plane is capable of, but now it seems like even the 3-ch is lacking. While I?m out there I can?t help but think, if only I had ailerons?

Unfortunately, I can?t go much bigger or faster without having to find another place to fly, and I don?t want to do that because I like the convenience of flying in my backyard.


I'm getting to about this same point, maybe a few more charge cyles. I also picked up a hobbico dual charger as I got tired of the two crappy ones that came with it.

looks like my little $150 cub has turned into that plus another $150 in additions, batteries, charger, glue, parts. :rolleyes: etc.

So it has begun. :)

[ColoradoSkier]

Just like a Jeep huh? :evil:

[ColoradoSkier]

Too cold and breezy out, not flying today. Might take the Nylint down by the creek though. Need to take some pics for this week.

[ColoradoSkier]

Good god, it is getting colder out - that front is definitely moving in (I swear I felt snow hitting my face). Instead of flying, I went to do this...

http://static.flickr.com/2203/2050230517_3aacb33fd0.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bullockfam/2050230517/)

http://static.flickr.com/2400/2050228885_260df21cb2.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bullockfam/2050228885/)

And in case you think I was just posing it and not really wheeling it...

http://static.flickr.com/2042/2051030558_fe41e13707.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bullockfam/2051030558/)

:flipoff2:

If you want to see more, go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/bullockfam/archives/date-taken/2007/11/20/

[newracer]

Nice!! :thumbsup: I need to get some shots of my clod crawler.

[Ghettojeep]

Just like a Jeep huh? :evil:
Yup, I've had the RC bug once before, just like riding a bike. :D

[Ghettojeep]

Too cold and breezy out, not flying today. Might take the Nylint down by the creek though. Need to take some pics for this week.

Nice crawler pics yo. Yeah, wind was starting to pick up when I headed back to the field. Took a couple laps and was getting tossed around pretty hard. I decided to call it a short trip and get her back on the ground pretty quick.


Forcast for tom is snow, in the morning and a calm cold afternoon. Thinking about rigging up some ski's for tom. :D

Sitting here at work I already found something perfect to make them out of, they are 4 gallon buckets, roughly a square w/ rounded corners. Should be perfect for the runners, just need to figure out something in the mounting system to make sure they don't flip around in flight. Shouldn't be too hard or heavy.

I'm hand launching so I wouldn't be worried about taking off, just bringing her down. I'm gonna make em tonight and try tom if it's calm in the afternoon.

[newracer]

Use foam meat packing tray to make skis. Plastic will be too heavy. I have been meaning to do it but haven't yet.

[Ghettojeep]

Use foam meat packing tray to make skis. Plastic will be too heavy. I have been meaning to do it but haven't yet.

Good idea, may have something like that around here too. The plastic is pretty thin I don't think the cub would suffer too much from the weight. I've already put quite a bit larger then stock wheels on it, and added about 10 grams there. If I could get each ski to weigh about the same as the wheels I should be ok.

I'll look for some foam too though, maybe a better route.

[newracer]

Lighter is always better.

I didn't get to fly real R/C today but I did fly on my G3.5 sim. :D

[ColoradoSkier]

Computer flying? Geek. :flipoff2:

[newracer]

It is an R/C sim so does that make me even more of a geek or less?

It does have turbine jets that don't cost thousands when you crash though!!! Just hit the reset button and it's repaired!!! :flipoff2:

[Ghettojeep]

OK so the ski's are done. each front ski ended up under 11 grams, compared to the field wheels that are 13 each, rear ski ended up a gram heavier then the larger set up I had on there.

So overall the difference is basically a wash.

Still thinking about a system to make sure they don't invert. I'm thinking spider wire to the cowl mounting screws in front and then to the wing struts under the battery box. Should keep things at the proper angles I think.

Anyways I may take her out for a taxi test and see what happens. Wind is starting to die down around here. Maybe I'll take her out in the backyard, put her on the ground and see what happens with a little throttle.

Man is this gonna be fun. Ski's are a little ghetto, but I think they will serve the purpose quite well. I'll get some pics up of the set up.

[ColoradoSkier]

After seeing the Flight Sim X video on YouTube, I want to get that... :drool: And I fly jets a lot in BF2. :D

I think I need to order the Mattrax for my Jeep...

Ghetto - you owe us pics...

[newracer]

You did better than dubro. They use a spring to keep them in position

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXDCT4&P=7

[Ghettojeep]

Now that was fun. The snow is pretty powdery so the flotation was minimal. They do work though!!! Kinda nosed over on the landings, but had a good 10 ft of ski marks behind it Ended up just needing the front wire for the skis which I shortened up from the 1st pics, you can see it when it's sitting on the tail gate. On packed snow it would def work.

It was a little cold out but well worth it, it was really calm wind. even managed a couple loops with the skis on. :)

http://a305.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/105/l_fbcd80b9d38adce623a824436a26ddc8.jpg

http://a873.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/14/l_549795cab6c4b0fe7f2c13ce07bcc5a0.jpg

http://a738.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/69/l_9c4515f5f7401df21d0ef34dab454f99.jpg

http://a686.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/88/l_e4f3a5a8c2574d61714b912773573845.jpg

[ColoradoSkier]

You da man!

[newracer]

That's cool!!!!

[Ghettojeep]

Thanks! Got em to work on landing too, I went back out and flew at a middle school with a gravel track. A lot of the snow had melted off in a spot leaving only about 1/2 inch of snow and ice on it, it was pretty slick and starting to refreeze.

Prob the best landing I've had in the cub yet, wheels or not. :D If Its nice tom I may check out this school again.

[Colorado 5.9]

Flying off snow with skis is a blast. I used to do it with my trainer back in the 80's at Chattfield. The skis are aluminum with ski wax on them.

I always liked the Piper Cubs on skis.

You guys have inspired me to make some little skis for my tiny cesna. They'll only be about 2 inches long.:D

[ColoradoSkier]

FWIW - KB Toys will have the Mini XPV tomorrow for $20. Pretty darned good price, if there is a KB near you (only 2 left in Colorado - there is a 3rd, but it is closing).

[Ghettojeep]

The snow on the track was pretty much gone today. So I switched back to the wheels.

Brought a tripod for my little oylmpus cam. Decided to try some rolling take offs too instead of just hand launching it.

Wanted to get some good inflight shots and landings but I brought the wrong batt for the cam, and it only had enough juice to film this.

This was the 2nd try, Got airborne on the 1st too, but it wasn't as pretty.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=MXM-9moIDYk

[newracer]

ToysRus has a combo pack with the Acro Jet and F16 for $40 tomorrow.

[ColoradoSkier]

Neither has gotten the best reviews. That M-XPV at KB for $20 is a deal though. Good all day, now if they only have a couple when I get there after work...

[ColoradoSkier]

Also sounds like the Jetscream was someones idea of a joke - at least the part about it being available today...

[Ghettojeep]

Neither has gotten the best reviews. That M-XPV at KB for $20 is a deal though. Good all day, now if they only have a couple when I get there after work...

I dunno about the acro jet, but I heard that the F16 doesn't really have throttle control. It's kinda an all or nothing type deal. I hear it's fast though, then again I heard it flys better with just flooring it, launching it, then leaving it alone. lol

[CLYDE]

Ok with all the RC threads in recent months, this one got me going, I have been wanting a helicopter for quite some time, and no cheesy counter rottating bladed thing, but something that I can get serious with, So off to Remote control hobbies I went. I came home witn a brandy spanking new Heli-max Axe. It is currently assembled and waiting on its first charge to complete. this thing is capable of inverted flight etc,[disclaimer] the operator will be lucky to ever achieve such flying, and will probably destroy his first set of rotors within 5 minutes. In any case I cant wait to go and try this thing out. I had flown some helis when I was younger, but they were probably even less stable than this one, and it quickly became apparent to me, that I could not afford helis back then, however with the advent of these electrics, I will try it again...
http://www.helimax-rc.com/gallery/hmxe04-gallery-i-2.jpg

[ColoradoSkier]

Sweet. Right on Clyde! Did you get a training cd or something to practice on the PC before you actually fly it?

[ColoradoSkier]

You also might want to start visiting here...

http://www.rcgroups.com/aircraft-electric-helis-217/

[CLYDE]

it came with both a dvd, and the kit for the training gear, and I dinked around on their simulator for about an hour while I was trying to decide if i could justify this to the better half:D She knows I have been eyeballing a new RC. Im sure I will suffer thru the learning curve, but rotor blades are fairly cheap, and I will keep it real low until i get used to it.

[CLYDE]

Oh and thanks for the forum link, I suspect i will be haunting that for a bit

[ColoradoSkier]

I know the "justification" feeling. I dropped some pretty good money on a new camera today...

[CLYDE]

didnt bat an eye, whew.

[newracer]

I just traded my heli for a crawler. I had it for a few years and never even built it. I may buy another later.

[CLYDE]

I looked at a sweet rolling chassis today, 250bucks to rich for my blood, and i dont have the patience to build one from scratch. Great little store here in thornton.. On another note, I will be making a trip there in the morning for replacement parts already, oooops:shrug: :D

[Ghettojeep]

Tight add one more to the club. Someone should hit the trailboss up and see if we can get an R/C forum added here. Please take pics and vids if you can of the chopper flights and build.

Helo's are awesome Clyde. I saw some gas ones that blew my mind. Full 3d control w/ out limitations. Of course the guys flying them were retired dudes about my grandpa's age who had nothing to do but fly the choppers 4 or 5 days a week. They really had their stuff down. Inverted flight, and every areobatic trick in the book I'd think.

I was talking to them, and they seemed pretty down to earth. The choppers were out of this world though.

I saw one guy run through his bag of tricks, and saw him throw down an inverted S at one point.

I talked with him a little bit after his flight. I told him I was just getting into flying R/C. Right before I took off I looked over at him and said, "once she's up the first one is for you Chuck"

He kinda laughed a little bit and gave me an OK, thumbs up look. I hand launched my little cub, took her for a lap and gained a bunch of altitude, then pulled an inverted S. I looked over at him and said, well thats the only way I know to get her inverted, and I swear I saw you do it.

After I landed, btw on which I nosed her over, he came up to me and told me that I had pretty good stick control for a beginner and loved the inverted S in tribute to his chopper.

Sitting around at the flying club up here is hilarious, lots of old timers. Most of the time I spent there was just listening to them and laughing. I didn't realize that there were a lot of older guys into R/C. I was the youngest guy out there by 25 years.

[Ghettojeep]

btw there is a killer Hobbytown USA in Westminster. It's huge.

[Ghettojeep]

Also watch your batteries and cold weather. The NiMh's in my cub dump at around freezing and loose all their juice when cold. I've figured this out the hard way in the past couple days.

On warm day's I was getting close to 15 minutes fly time. Today I was lucky to get 10, and this includes charging in the house then keeping the plane and batt in the cab of the truck to the field.

I had a couple bad experiences yesterday with ice cold batts which I thought had a full charge.

Anyways, watch the temp on them, they like to be warm. I've heard this applies to Li Pos as well.

[Colorado 5.9]

btw there is a killer Hobbytown USA in Westminster. It's huge.

Not any more.:( They came to the conclusion thart they were not making anything with the track so they let the landlord cut the place in half. No more track & the right side will be a finess center. Very sad. it's where I flew in the winter with my heli's & planed on fly my little Cesna.

Don't know where I'll fly indoors now.


By the way guys some of you have not seen my vids. I have a bunch of Heli vids & a couple of Cesna vids. I still have to put up an on board vid from the Stryker & a couple of new vids from the Trex 400 heli.

http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=ColoradoHeliNut

[ColoradoSkier]

Dunno if we can/ should go for a sub forum. Since rccrawler.com and rcgroups.com seem to be filling the need well. But if there are enough that want it here, we could ask.

[jredmond]

This thread sucks. Now I am running out on my break to get a Mini Chopper for the office and will be getting a plane after work.

I have always wanted a plane but never bought one. I guess today I get my R/C wings.

[newracer]

The cold is even harder on lipo than nicd or nimh, when it's really cold I keep my batteries in my pockets to keep them warm. Most of my planes have a high enough amp draw that the stay very warm during flight.

[ColoradoSkier]

This thread sucks. Now I am running out on my break to get a Mini Chopper for the office and will be getting a plane after work.

I have always wanted a plane but never bought one. I guess today I get my R/C wings.

Check KB Toys at the factory stores. Might have the Mini XPV for $20 still. That is a heck of a deal on a GREAT plane.

The mini helo's don't interest me for some reason. Something about IR and short flight times.

I haven't flown since last week. Go away cold weather. Or at least snow and make it worth having the cold weather...

[jredmond]

Check KB Toys at the factory stores. Might have the Mini XPV for $20 still. That is a heck of a deal on a GREAT plane.

The mini helo's don't interest me for some reason. Something about IR and short flight times.

I haven't flown since last week. Go away cold weather. Or at least snow and make it worth having the cold weather...

Thanks for the tip. That plane looks cool. I cant wait for the temps to go back up so I can fly a plane

Here is what I bought for flying aroung the office. It was one of the only Mini Helo that I found that can hover

https://www.spindirect.com/product.php?productid=16219

[CLYDE]

guess Im gonna be waiting to play with mine, got two of the broken parts, but they didnt have any main rotor grips, and One of mine is trashed. Anybody got some grips for an Axe CP??? I dont want to drive to Aurora for a pair of 3 dollar grips.

[ColoradoSkier]

Sorry to hear that. Still pretty cold outside though.

[Colorado 5.9]

Here is what I bought for flying aroung the office. It was one of the only Mini Helo that I found that can hover

https://www.spindirect.com/product.php?productid=16219

Those things suck. I bought one & it is just too slow to control. You need a 5G6. They are fast if you want them too be but also very precise.

On my you tube link I have the 5#6. Same thing just the older style Heli body & boom. Walkera even has a fixed pitch single roter heli now called the 4#3. Soon they are to have a colective version of it called the 4G3 I think. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQ3Lc57fLQg


Clyde, I wish I had known you were going to get something. I would not have recomended the Heimax. The Blade CP & CP pro is a better start. Parts are a lot more plentifull too. Or i might have told you to start out with a fixed pitch heli but since you flew along time ago a CP one is probably fine for ya.

[ColoradoSkier]

Think there is enough interest to start a sub forum?

[CLYDE]

Clyde, I wish I had known you were going to get something. I would not have recomended the Heimax. The Blade CP & CP pro is a better start. Parts are a lot more plentifull too. Or i might have told you to start out with a fixed pitch heli but since you flew along time ago a CP one is probably fine for ya.
Yeah I will get back up to speed pretty quick, the decision was price based, and I didnt want a fixed pitch. RC hobbies has the parts, just out of stock on the grips, Im getting ready to run down to their aurora store now and grab a set. I plan on replacng all the plastic with their cnc, and carbon fibre stuff, as soon as I have a few extra dollars to spend, I dont mind buying rotor blades, but replacing the plastic everytime I turn around will annoy me. I will tinker around with the axe, and get back to where i can fly it some, and save up for something a little bigger, and more stable, I figure if I can master this twitchy little guy, the bigger stuff will be a breeze, as they are more stable.

[Colorado 5.9]

I plan on getting this little sucker when they have the CP version for indoors this winter. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWWO9WagmV0&feature=related

[jredmond]

Those things suck. I bought one & it is just too slow to control. You need a 5G6. They are fast if you want them too be but also very precise.


I saw some of those on line but was unable to find a local store that had them. Where did you get yours?

I only spent $45 on this one at Target. I really needed something to do at work today. It is a little hard to control but still fun.

[CLYDE]

well made the trip to aurora, got my parts, and then ran thru a battery of practice time, little bit of hover, mostly just getting it light, and moving around a little. Had a light variable breeze, and dont have a perfectly level place to practice on, so was pretty touchy, but no broken parts this time, so I will call this flight a success. Had to bounce it a few times when the breeze would try and move it around, but I would rather have it straight down on the gear than tipping a rotor in to the asphalt:D Hopefully I will get a real calm day soon so I can get that hover down.

[ColoradoSkier]

Could do it in a garage?

[ColoradoSkier]

Might take the AA Jet out today at the park. Seems a bit warmer...

[CLYDE]

Naw the axe CP is definitely Not an indoor flyer, unless you have a gym, or other large enclosed area with no obstacles :D At least at my skill level lol.
Maybe once I get my hover down pat yeah, but not yet for sure.

[CLYDE]

So my flying is over for a bit now, I suspect I will be waiting awhile on parts this time :D These things sure do go all to pieces on impact. May have to invest in the simulator at this point, cheaper than making continuos trips for parts.

[Colorado 5.9]

I saw some of those on line but was unable to find a local store that had them. Where did you get yours?

I only spent $45 on this one at Target. I really needed something to do at work today. It is a little hard to control but still fun.

I have bought all my Walkera Helis on Ebay. I don't know what one you like better. The 5#6 can be bought from Walkera USA. He is a good seller. Sometimes he will have the 5G6 but not right now.

If you like the 5G6 better then try Toyneer on Ebay. They have the best price & are good also. I had bought a 5#5b from them & it was defective. They sent out a new one. I did have to pay shipping back the first one though.

You can save a search for what you want & wait untill someone puts the Heli up for bid insted of the buy it now thing.

Remember though. Thease helis are fragile & can break on crashes. They can be tough though too unlike single rotor helis as Clyde has found out.:D Parts parts parts can be the thing until you get used to flying it. Some people pick it up fast though.

As said before too. Go to RCgroups forum to read up on stuff. For the problems, fixes & upgrades. It's good forum. One good seller of Walkera helis is on RCgroups forum. His forum name is RC of the North. He gets a # of people that want a certain heli & then orders from Walkera. Good fair prices. You have to pay up front though of corse.

[Colorado 5.9]

So my flying is over for a bit now, I suspect I will be waiting awhile on parts this time :D These things sure do go all to pieces on impact. May have to invest in the simulator at this point, cheaper than making continuos trips for parts.

Cyde, the two most popular sims are Real Flight's G3 & Phoenix. http://www.phoenix-sim.com/welcome.htm

I own Phoenix. I like it much better for helis.You might have to get an adaptor for you TX though. Eflight & Spectrum radios plug right in. The Real flight comes with a controler but it will not have the stuff you Axe TX will have to be as close to your radio as your own TX has. I can't remember if you can use real TX