Screamer 50mm EDF by Skyangel
[i]Every so often, a design comes out that reminds you of something else. Then upon closer look, things are completely different. This was the case with the new Screamer. The first time I saw this model, there were many fond memories of my good old Parkzone Stryker. I cut my teeth on prop jets with that model. It would float or zing depending on how much power was applied. Then the pain set in. It wasn't called the Stryker for nothing. That prop hanging on the back would strike my fingers in the blink of an eye if attention to the hand launch wasn't 100%. It was at this point I remembered why I retired it, it was to prevent any further loss of blood. That was a well loved plane, but it was time for self preservation. The old Stryker was boxed up and relegated to a dark, hidden corner of the hanger. Every time the mood struck me, I would start to pull out that box and bring the old friend out for some fun and the pain set in all over again. I will not allow another prop strike to mangle my fingers so the old friend got pushed back into that dark corner with great sadness. :( The next glance at the Screamer reminded me of a few other models that had an EDF pod sitting above the fuse, but for whatever reason those never appealed to me . Perhaps it was the not so streamlined look, maybe it was still the fondness for the stryker, I don't know. The Screamer gives a very different feeling. Upon closer inspection, this looks better with every glance. No prop induced carnage, no ugly EDF pod sitting above the fuse, even the wing servos are well protected by the servo arms protruding through the top of the wing with the control horns residing on top of the elevons. The body has a neat, sculpted look as it blends into the wings, a clear canopy, this thing looks hot! I just couldn't resist this one and made the purchase. [/i] [img]http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/2564/cimg1577l.jpg[/img] [i] I made the purchase from a relative newcomer to the hobby industry, [url]http://www.hobbyb.com[/url] out of Canada. The website shows an extensive listing of the Skyangel line, more so in fact that any other vender I have run across. The pricing is quite reasonable and seems to cater to both ends of the consumer wish lists.... those that want plug and play along with those that want airframe kits to use their own electronics. I had not ordered from them before, but had run across a few others that had and could recommend them, so I dove in and indulged myself. The model arrived well packaged and free from damage, the assembly couldn't be more simple. In fact, the parts mocked together in 15 seconds as the only assembly of the airframe that was required was to add the nose, rudders and clear canopy. I had chosen to purchase the airframe only. I already had a stash of 9g Towerpro servos, the stock 4300 kV motor and fan from other Skyangel / Jpower jets so there was no need for me to purchase a plug and play model. [/i][img]http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/5800/cimg1576l.jpg[/img] [img]http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/9299/cimg1578i.jpg[/img] [img]http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/5172/cimg1579o.jpg[/img] [i]I was quite impressed with the quality of the foam. The fit and finish are top notch with no "gatorskin", bubbles or pits in the surface. The parts interlock effortlessly and the EDF housing has a few high stregth magnets to hold the cover in place, a system that has worked with other Skyangel models so it should work just fine here as well. With a 20" wingspan and low weight, the low wing loading of this model should allow it to either float or haul nicely. No possible prop strikes, sexy looks and the forgiving construction of EPO foam makes this a winner in my book. Now that the basics are out of the way, it's time to fully assemble this beastie.[/i] :cool: [I]For those wanting virtually immediate flight time, the plug and play model just needs your own receiver and lipo for almost immediate fun[/I] [img]http://www.hobbyb.com/userfiles/images/screamer_flyer.jpg[/img] F[I]or the kit build, there are several items needed. EPO foam can be glued with a mulititude of different products. Epoxy, contact cements such as UHU Creative, polyurethane glue, even CA. Normal eps foam requires a foam safe glue as something like CA will melt the foam. EPO has a different chemistry and CA does not destroy the foam. Each type of adhesive has it's benefits and it's faults. Normally I would tend to use a 5 minute epoxy, but what I've noticed is that adhesive tends to turn yellow with age and sunlight exposure. Since this model will retian some of it's white color scheme, I will use a normal CA for any exposed glue line such as the rudders and the nose. A more flexible canopy glue like UHU creative will be used to glue the clear canopy to the battery hatch. Next, two 7-9g servos will be required for the elevons mounted on the underside of the wings. depending on what manufacturer servos are used, there may be a need for harness extensions. The servo leads need to be approximately 12 inches long in order to reach the area where your receiver will be located. A simple 4 channel receiver is all that is needed. Since there are only two servos and a speed control, nothing fancy is required. If your transmitter is a basic model with no programming features, you would need a V-tail mixer as well in order to active the required elevon mixing of the servos. I will be using a Spektrum 6100 receiver, only because I happen to have one sitting in my parts bin. Any 4-6 channel receiver will work just fine. In the kit version, there are no control horns or rods included so this build will show how to fabricate these yourself. Now for the power system. The manufacturer has designed the model for their 50mm EDF unit and their 4300 kV outrunner with extension. [img]http://static.rcgroups.net/forums/attachments/3/9/2/0/6/a3897710-215-50mmEDF_Motor_Specs.jpg[/img] The motor has been proven in other models to be perfectly happy on 4s voltage. The manufacturer supplies this motor and fan in their packaged planes and are run on a very conservative 3s 850 mAh lipo. Turning up the power to 4s voltage has shown a decent increase in thrust and speed with no adverse affects to the motor. The EDF unit, that might be another story. There appears to be a slight variation of quality when it comes to the stock EDF housing and rotors. Some aren't concentric right out of the box, while others are perfect. This issue will be addressed a little further in to the build, tips will be given on how to ensure a reliable and light weight fan unit. Part of the power system is an appropriate speed control. this is another item with varied quality control. The speed controller as supplied in the other Skyangel jets is rated for 20A. On 3s voltage there is still headroom. on 4s voltage we are flirting with the upper end of it's rating. There are reports of great results on 4s voltages while there are other reports of the speed controller going up in a puff of smoke. This author has experienced great results with a stock 20A, however..... my intent with this build is to make sure there is little chance of failure. I've chosen a 30A esc, also available from hobbyb.com so that the option of installing a higher powered motor and fan would only involve swapping just the fan and motor. Even if the stock motor and fan is used, wide open throttle for the entire duration would not cause an overheating speed controller. the a 30A continuous rating and 40A burst rating, I'm confident there will be zero issues with only a miniscule weight difference. The last factor in the power system is the flight battery. The battery bay is decently sized and could hold a wide range of lipos. To keep weight to a minimum, I will be using a 4s 800 mAh 40C lipo as long as the correct CG can be attained with that size of a battery pack. Now on to the build........... The servos are centered and their arms installed facing upwards though the top of the wing. This is a nice design as the arms won't catch on anything during a belly flop landing. The servo leads are pressed into the channels cut into the wing and follow along to the cutout that resides under the place that the EDF unit will mount. There is a center channel for the servo leads and the speed control that runs up to the cockpit area where the receiver and lipo will be installed. [IMG]http://img837.imageshack.us/img837/1815/cimg1584l.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/4294/cimg1585x.jpg[/IMG] The speed controller chosen was an Aeolian 30A (40A burst) that is rated for 3-4S voltage. This was from [url]www.hobbyb.com[/url] as well. The speed controller is programmable, and comes with programming instructions. Hooray! Anyone who has purchased any kind of budget controller that didn't come with instructions will relate to the joy here. Everything was soldered up to the motor and fan and tested. [IMG]http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/3231/cimg1591k.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/2298/cimg1592.jpg[/IMG] Once the powersystem was tested, the assembly was installed in the fuselage. The EDF unit was glued into place with UHU creativ ( or UHU POR) to prevent any movement while in use. The fan cover is magnetic and just pops into place. That by itself doesn't seem strong enough to hold the fan in place, so that's where I chose to glue the fan with a flexible glue. The glue is strong enough to hold everything in place, but with enough force, the fan can be removed with no damage. [IMG]http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/3949/cimg1593v.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/8162/cimg1595d.jpg[/IMG] So with the servos, receiver and power system installed, it has been set aside for the glue to dry. Since control horns and control rods are not included in the bare kit, I need to supply my own. I've taken a short cut and instead of fabricating the control horns, I dug out a set of drjohnslaser.com ply control horns. They are laser cut and come in sheet form, you just punch out a set and glue them into place. I've used them on many occations and are actually stronger than the plastic ones supplied in kits. [IMG]http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/4655/cimg1597q.jpg[/IMG] The control horns are now glued into place and control rods with Z bends are added. [IMG]http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/9895/cimg1596wv.jpg[/IMG] I just happen to get the idea to try this. I seem to remember this design from somewhere, for the life of me I can't seem to remember where. It won't be finished this way, I just wanted to fab it up this way for pics. [IMG]http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/9662/cimg1598u.jpg[/IMG] The vertical stabs were then glued in the proper V configuration, the nose cone was glued as well and we're ready to rock and roll! [IMG]http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/4889/cimg1600m.jpg[/IMG] A 3s 1000 mAh 30C lipo was used for the first test hop to see what the performance would be like as the manufacturer intended. The CG was checked for the recommended 45mm back from the intake lip. There was a break in the rainy Florida weather so we went out for the maiden flight. The excitement and anticipation never gets old when you toss an unproven model into the sky. There was just a hint of air movement, the throttle was opened up and I gave it a toss....... Oh my. I felt like I almost botched the launch, the model quickly took off out of my hand and started to climb, evidently this one doesn't really need an upward arc on the hand launch. It even surprised my wife who was operating the camera, it took here a few moments to find the model in the sky. That is a rare occurance as she's quite good and tracking an RC plane. In a few seconds she was on it again. The power is superb, the rate of climb is stunning, it quickly became evident this was going to be a HUGE winner. On the flip side, the power off glide was among the best I've seen on an EDF jet. I was blasting vertical, shutting off and doing dead stick glide tests. The plane tracks well, I noticed that I had forgotten to completely clear out all the transmitter settings. There was some differential programmed in to the elevon mixing so a little remixing needed to be done. Here is the intial test hop, a better video will follow after the transmitter has been reprogrammed. [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aj4m7Otolg[/url] So in summary, on 3s this model has essentially unlimited vertical. The glide range is so exceptional that you'll need to plan your landings. When I mean plan them, I mean you can cut throttle down wind, make a gradual turn and you will still likely overshoot your landing spot. By far, this is the best performing 50mm jet that Jpower has offered to date. It's evidently very effecient because this is using the same motor and fan as every other Jpower model yet the performance leaves the others in the dust. I can't stress enough how fantastic this little hod rod performs. [U]The Plus side: [/U] :) *Quality molded EPO construction. *Great fit of the parts. *Outrageous performance on stock power system. *Clear canopy included. *Plenty of room for electronics and lipo. *Quick build time. *Well packed from vender. [U]The Minus side: [/U] :( *Lack of control rods, horns or instructions in airframe kit. even though the assembly is easy, those items should be included. *No pilot figure like what is included in the plug and play version. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ I was able to put a few more flights on the Screamer for testing. The first test was with a 3s 1000 mAh for slow speed handling tests. This this will actually high alpha and almost refuses to drop a wing. I did slow speed moves that I wouldn't dare try with any of the other JPower jets. This acts like it has functional canards in a stall. It just floats nose high, and it easy to keep in line. I can't find a single bad trait. :confused: For me, that's a almost a miracle.... If there is something wrong, leave it to me to uncover it. :o The next tests were 3s vs 4s in back to back tests. The Aeolian 30A esc showed no signs of any problems and performance is...... Oh my. All I could do was hammer the throttle, start this childish laughter and watch while it rolls like a drill straight up and doesn't slow down. Seriously, it specs out in a few seconds. What a jewel this turned out to be. Here is the 4s test hop clips. [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAMoD2oL5H0[/url] This jet steps right smack into the serious performance catagory and this author gives it the highest rating of the Jpower 50mm jet line. I can't quite say it's for a beginning pilot, but I cannot imagine anyone with some previous skill not thinking this is complete blast to fly. Even without instructions, the build is pretty simple and anyone with prior assembly experince can figure it out with zero drama. Get one and you won't be sorry. [/I]
Posted on: 8/25/2012 1:39 PM by Author "Joe 1320" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11205726

RE: XB-70 EDF
Glad it worked out. I wonder if the retracts have been updated. The original ones would were weak in the strut and would fold on landing.
Posted on: 7/19/2012 7:16 AM by Author "Joe 1320" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11161038

RE: XB-70 EDF
I bought an airframe only and did my own build. Replace the metal wire in the front retract before you fly. It WILL fold if you use the stock wire. What else do you want to know? [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=di05t_BTQ_E[/youtube]
Posted on: 3/17/2012 8:37 AM by Author "Joe 1320" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11003937

RE: Striker XST-11
Made by Walkera. They went out of production some time ago. They are made of EPP, it's not as good as a Parkzone F-27 Stryker. The foam is a little less dense, launching is a handfull. Not one of their best efforts.
Posted on: 7/28/2008 8:29 PM by Author "Joe 1320" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=7782104

RE: Haoye Allycat Edf
Actually, the Haoye flycat was the first one on the block. There were a few guys that tested the model as it was from Haoye and several revisions were made before the US distributers did their versions. The original Flycat has a place for the elevator servo moulded into the wing and plastic control rods operate the elevator. That was the first thing we changed. The elevator servo was relocated to the tail, carbon fiber rods were added to the fuse to prevent breaking at the wing root, we did both the ducted fan and pusher prop versions with great success. We did figure out what worked and what didn't. The hobby Lobby Lynx was just the latest version. I think mine was close to 110 mph but no doppler to back it up.
Posted on: 7/27/2007 1:01 PM by Author "Joe 1320" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6163332

RE: ESTES Airforce 1 Ducted Fan 747 Jumbojet
[quote]ORIGINAL: winbe I would love to have a smaller plane to fly in a smaller area if anyone as any suggestions. DAVE ESPI mentioned the ESTES Sky Rangers 4162, but I can't find it anywhere online. I'd like to try a nice cheap plane like that. Even though $60 was a steal for the AF1, It still is a lot of money and my stomach drops everytime I slam it to the ground. Crashing $20 would be upsetting buy not as bad. So this is what I'm looking for if anyone has any input, it would be appreciated. 1. Small area flying 2. < $30 3. Best battery life Thanks in advance. I love this board so far, except I stay up too late reading. My wife and I are expecting our first child so she's probably not too excited about me starting a new hobby, but I can't resist. [/quote] My suggestion: http://www.bphobbies.com/view.asp?id=B1828517 these things rock. I get really long flight times, excellent performance with the stock motor, two 5g servos and micro esc and rx. Overall, I think it's the best small park flyer out there. the performace is great and replacement parts are readily available. For $20 per kit, you can't go wrong.
Posted on: 7/27/2007 12:55 PM by Author "Joe 1320" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6163315

RE: Lynx XF EDF RC Jet
Not as fast as a Stryker? I suppose that depends on the power system. 400 watts in a pusher prop Lynx will smoke most Strykers.
Posted on: 5/11/2007 11:15 AM by Author "Joe 1320" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5840623

RE: ESTES Airforce 1 Ducted Fan 747 Jumbojet
hey guys, thought I would chime in here. I have probably over 100 flights on several of these. I've done some conversions, flown some stock, even was a distributer for awhile. I keep several tucked away for a rainy day. Most fly great out of the box, occationally they don't. Most times it was traced to an bad battery even when new out of the box. a replacement battery usually solved the problem. The 40mm fans accept 12mm brushless motors, flight controls can easily be added, it's a fun plane to start modifying. landing gear too! The main modification that I would strongly suggest is carbon fiber bracing in the wings. EPP can get a twist in it after some time, especially if you store it at cetain angles. Get a twinst in the wing and she misbehaves in the air. The engines will take a little more current, don't expect them to last for too long on 11.1 unless you use some throttle management. Overall, it's one of my favorite flyers.
Posted on: 5/11/2007 11:13 AM by Author "Joe 1320" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5840614

RE: F117 Stealth fighter, where to find?
I run the batteries in parallel in the cockpit ( you have to stagger them to make them fit) , they Y into large main power cables that run to the rear. The twin escs tap main power at the rear, I run extensions and a Y to the rx.
Posted on: 12/19/2006 12:51 PM by Author "Joe 1320" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5135180

RE: F117 Stealth fighter, where to find?
I have one of these with two Walkera 380m brushless motors, two Tower Pro 30A Escs, Electron 6 rx and two 3s 2100 20C lipos. It flys great on brushless. I suppose I could say that at 40% throttle on brushless is about the same as full throttle on brushed. With the supplied brushed motors, they float around and do fly, but there's no margin of extra power to get you out of trouble if needed. Besides, opening it up again to change motors is something you don't want to do unless you engineer the feature into the kit. Go brushless and you'll be happy. It will move along nicely, just don't expect blistering speed. Maybe 50 mph, but looks pretty scale. I don't have any vids yet though.
Posted on: 12/19/2006 8:28 AM by Author "Joe 1320" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5134380

RE: F117 Stealth fighter, where to find?
Just be advised it flies like a lead pig on brushed power. You really should upgrade to brushless and lipo.
Posted on: 12/18/2006 3:11 PM by Author "Joe 1320" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5131219

RE: F117 Stealth fighter, where to find?
This may be worth a shot...... http://www.elitehobby.com/rc1-1003.html
Posted on: 12/17/2006 11:37 AM by Author "Joe 1320" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5126348

RE: Air Hogs F-16 Falcon
[quote]ORIGINAL: pacmanemi I just bought one and flew it for the first time as my my first RC flight and had control of it with ease with a bit of a rough landing but everything went ok. overall the body is well designed and with the lift formula in thought even with transmitter off it still with circle you. Motors are extreamly strong and pushes the plane fast and with a 300 foot range getting up to 100 feet is a snap with auto-climb. like many reviews before this one all turns need to be anticipated and the plane goes where you point it [/quote] Bend the tab on the rear of the rudder in order to get it flying straight. ;)
Posted on: 11/10/2006 7:10 PM by Author "Joe 1320" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4980478

RE: How much do you spend on RC jets a year?
I shudder every time I think about it. Therefore, I refuse to make a total. I might pass out.
Posted on: 10/18/2006 12:32 PM by Author "Joe 1320" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4883835

RE: Anyone flying the Walkera SU-27
That launches with authority. My F-22 takes a bit of a drop before it gets on step and climbs out. Very nice!
Posted on: 10/16/2006 4:31 PM by Author "Joe 1320" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4875572

RE: Anyone flying the Walkera SU-27
[quote]ORIGINAL: AJ1202 Well I got it together and have made the maiden flights and I have to say I am impressed. This plane is such a well behaved jet I used 2 BP 21 1750 rpm 2 18 ESC and 2 3S1300 using 2 stock stryker props and I would say I'm looking at cose to 50 mph flat level flight, it fly's nice at 1/2 throttle and will slow down to a crawl for landing if wanted I would have to say it makes a very impressive presence in the sky. I would definatly recomend this plane to anyone looking at a SU-27, and the EPP foam is a plus as it's tough It is a bit heavy for a foam plane at just a little under 3 lbs but it flys very nice, definatly just became one of my favorite planes [/quote] Can you show a pic of the rear motor mountings? I may have to try a twin pusher.
Posted on: 10/13/2006 1:25 PM by Author "Joe 1320" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4863282

RE: Flat foam jets
Looks nice. That does give me an idea for an F-22 foamy. [:D]
Posted on: 10/2/2006 7:06 PM by Author "Joe 1320" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4819817

RE: Anyone flying the Walkera SU-27
Nice! I've got the Walkera F-16, F-22 and an unbuilt F-117 for later. They are stable floaters (as I call them), the F-22 almost lands itself with just a little flair. Looks good! BTW, it's the paint that kills the weight. ;)
Posted on: 10/2/2006 5:22 PM by Author "Joe 1320" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4819405

RE: RC micro guided missile model, think it's possible?
Already been done, this guy was making them out of Depron. http://www.depronlasercutting.com
Posted on: 9/8/2006 11:41 AM by Author "Joe 1320" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4724781

RE: The New Great Planes XPD 8 - Is it Hype?
[quote]ORIGINAL: jrt20001 . I have the Firebird outrunner motor and ESC for sale if anyone is interested? [/quote] What are the specs and how much do you want?
Posted on: 8/30/2006 3:20 PM by Author "Joe 1320" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4690095

RE: Anyone flying the Walkera SU-27
The planes float on brushed motors, they are a bit faster with brushless. The airframe has a high amount of drag so upping the power will only give marginal increases in speed. There are a few mods you can do like covering cheater holes, adding a small restrictor in the exhausts to gain some speed in the ducted fan application. It's a good flyer, just don't expect a speed demon.
Posted on: 8/18/2006 3:46 PM by Author "Joe 1320" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4639427

RE: Walkera Jet Group purchase
Up to 6 kits already! [X(][8D]
Posted on: 7/21/2006 1:23 PM by Author "Joe 1320" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4527981

Walkera Jet Group purchase
A few have expressed interest in Walkera Airplanes, they are durable and fly well on brushless power. Shipping on an individual kit is insane, I'm trying to get a group purchase going to bring down the per unit cost. We'll need to get at least 5 kits presold, the more kits sold the lower the per unit cost. I originally didn't want to be the one doing the ordering but if I have to, then so be it........ I really want a few more airframes for myself, not the RTF stuff with the electronics. Their airframes rock, so do the brushless motors...... the electronics I'll pass. So the ordering will be for the airframe kits only, no RTF kits with electronics...... believe me, you'll want to use you own electronics of choice. Brushless motors could be ordered as well, but we still would have to meet the minumum order of 5 kits first. I'm not interested in making any dough on these, I just want to address my incredibly frugal outlook (read: cheap) and want to get these kits for the lowest dollar possible. Just remember the more we get, the lower the cost. Who's interested? Just in case, here is Walkera's website: www.Walkera.com Because I started this on another forum first, we already have at least a minumum order already. :D
Posted on: 7/20/2006 1:00 PM by Author "Joe 1320" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4523985

RE: E-Flite Super Airliner
[quote]ORIGINAL: jumbo 747 my 747 ducted fan brushed flys very well and mini 747 pres' [quote]ORIGINAL: John Redman Flies great too!! [/quote] [/quote] I know about the Estes Airforce One (got one) and I can see you pirated the engines for the larger kit. Where is the larger kit from and did you also use the Estes receiver and transmitter fir it as well?
Posted on: 6/13/2006 8:16 AM by Author "Joe 1320" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4384895

RE: Air Hogs F-16 Falcon
The key is to flight of this unit is to double charge the battery before each flight. Without that, the power is low and flight times are too short. With a double charge it much more fun to fly, it still takes some anticipation for turns. At least it is fun to fly that way and with practice, you can land it right in front of you. Here is a repost of a mini review of this that I did on another forum: I was finally able to track these down. They are a Target exclusive at least for the moment. I opened the package and was pleasantly suprised with the airframe itself. It appears better than the Dominator (F-117 knockoff) but is still unfinished on the underside. The production units should be finished top and bottom, but that is easily rectified by some foam safe paint. The shape of the fuselage is reasonable, the wing angle has been changed to a configuration similar to the F-15 with the wings swept foreward. Intersting is that it appears semi serviceable. The motors and prop protectors unscrew from the wings, giving one the impression that upgrades are possible. the same goes for the battery compartment, but I'm not hacking this up just yet to do some exploratory surgery. There is even a slight bit of rudder adjustment via a small bendable tab. Not elegant, but functional. The nose is a foam rubber. Hmmmm....... I found that odd. I eventually found the reason and it works well. The Charger/Remote serves double duty. After inserting the 6 AA batteries into the transmitter, a side panel is opened and the charging lead is brought out to insert into the plane. Once the lead is inserted into the plane, push the charging button and the red indicator light flashes. It continues to flash until the charge cycle is complete, at that time the LED light changes to green. To perform the double charge, once the first charge is complete, pull out the charging connector and re-insert. Push the charge button again for another complete cycle. You'll find the plane performs best this way, but battery life in the transmitter is decreased. You'll want to replace the batteries in the transmitter as soon as you see decreased flight times and or altitude. On the subject of the transmitter portion, the charger/remote is still the same terrible gated single joystick that makes changes in power and direction at the same time nearly impossible. The range is acceptable and the idea of the the charger and transmitter combo is great. If the Aero Ace technology were used is would be a major improvement. That being said, on to the flight....... The maiden flight was near sunset, the sky was clear and the air was still. The hand launch was a snap and immediatly the plane started to move out. I had expected the same leisurely flight characteristics that the Dominator had. Basically that one you just try and fly it around and it looks sort of scale in the air. This one is definately faster, It looks great in the air and is fairly agile for what it is. You have to anticipate the turning, but once you get used to it there are some neat things you can do. The plane climbs out well without any additional throttle input. The plane goes where you point it, however it has a tendency to porpoise a bit as wind speeds climb. It actually flies typical of any rudder only, single engine speed plane..... with some exceptions. Once you lose airspeed, it plumets toward the ground like a laser guided bunker buster on it's way toward an Iraqi presidential bunker. In some ways, there are some great tricks that can be done. Throttle it up to altitude and turn off the transmitter. The engines stop, the plane eventually stalls. It instantly snaps into a twisting dive straight toward mother earth. After a few twists and 50 ft of stright down, turn on the transmitter with your full throttle engauged. It rockets out of the dive in a wicked snap and if you're good with a joystick, this is capible of some cool manouvers. Not enough power for a loop, but some cool stuff for a $30 toy. Now that being said, make sure you bring it down before you run out of power. I don't think I have to describe the end result more accurately than it's a bunker buster. Landing is altogether another issue. I've only been able to get a decent glide path down on a couple of flights. Now I have to say that I am trying to land in close confines, the average big field is pretty easy. I'm trying to consistantly land in a 20x20 patch of my side lawn. Most times I had to fly it down to about waist high and cut power from the transmitter and force it into a frenzied lawn dart trajectory and I can drop it there almost every time. Now I see why the foam nose cone. It cushions the fall pretty good, sometimes bouncing like an Aero Ace, sometimes imbedding nose first into the grass like unexploded ordinance. I still worry about the lack of glide cability. The way this dives, it looks spectacular doing stunts but flying out of range would have catastrophic results. I've already put 15 flights on it, a double charge each time and it does fly. Does it fly like something with 3 channels? Heck no. I think the biggest hinderance to this is the electronics/ transmitter. If one could have throttle control like the Aero Ace, left and right control like the aero ace, this would be a serious winner. Without it, you have to muscle it around and the drama level is fair. It's not as easy to control direction precisely, but I'm having fun with it considering what it is. When this one is trahed, I will buy another. The airframe will make some interesting conversions. When you guys get these and finally burn out the motors, I would love to have the intact leftover airframe for another project. As far as kids flying it, they will have a blast. It will also keep them entertained as they will be doing some long distance fetching in between flights. Unless they learn the trick of bringing it down while there is still battery power, it's going to land somewhere other than expected.
Posted on: 6/6/2006 3:42 PM by Author "Joe 1320" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4360230

RE: Need Help with Walkera SU 35
I'm not doing the SU-35, but the F-22. I've done the upgrade to the twin brushless 380s with twin 30A escs, twin Walkera Fans and a Vampowerbatts 4500 mAh 3s2p. It has enough thrust to hover vertical with just a finger on the nose to keep it stable. The maiden will be sometime this week. Some of the speed secrets involve elimating drag. Closing up the cheater holes and perhaps necking down the exhaust a hair helpget more speed.....more so than just adding more power. It's the drag of the airframe that slows it down.
Posted on: 6/6/2006 3:33 PM by Author "Joe 1320" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4360189

RE: Air Hogs F-16 dual prop pusher
Came darned close to a vertical loop this morning. I was up high, the wind was picking up and I did the death stall manouver. It spiraled down and when I hit the transmitter on and was at full throttle, it pulled up into the wind and did do a loop, just not perfectly upright....... this little plane is a blast to fly on a double charge. So far it is answering my craving of horsing around a small jet without fear of catastrophic results. A little longer flight time would be a plus though.
Posted on: 6/5/2006 8:44 PM by Author "Joe 1320" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4357036

RE: Air Hogs F-16 dual prop pusher
I've already put 30+ flights on the thing and it was looking a little beat up. I decided to give it a refresh. I know the Blue Angels use F-18s, but I couldn't resist the paint scheme. It now wears it's blue and yellow proudly. The only problem is that it's now sort of a pig in the air. The extra several coats (yeah, I know) of paint added a fair amout of weight plus the CG was thrown rearward. I had to add a weight under the nose and glue the foam nose cone. With this mod, the plane again flies true, abliet with a little less agility and speed. It looks fantastic in the air with it's new colors! The best landings have been done by bringing it down while still under full power and coming in for a landing just as battery power starts to drop. As long as the speed is decent, it will glide right in.
Posted on: 5/31/2006 4:50 PM by Author "Joe 1320" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4337191

RE: Air Hogs F-16 dual prop pusher
Yup..... too much wind and it porpoises like an Aero Ace. I think I have 30 flights on mine already and have figured out a routine of getting mine to physically land on my yard rather than the lawn dart approach. I would definately buy this again.
Posted on: 5/27/2006 6:44 PM by Author "Joe 1320" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4322942

RE: Air Hogs F-16 dual prop pusher
I reposted this from a review I did on another forum...... I was finally able to track these down. They are a Target exclusive at least for the moment. I opened the package and was pleasantly suprised with the airframe itself. It appears better than the Dominator (F-117 knockoff) but is still unfinished on the underside. The production units should be finished top and bottom, but that is easily rectified by some foam safe paint. The shape of the fuselage is reasonable, the wing angle has been changed to a configuration similar to the F-15 with the wings swept foreward. Intersting is that it appears semi serviceable. The motors and prop protectors unscrew from the wings, giving one the impression that upgrades are possible. the same goes for the battery compartment, but I'm not hacking this up just yet to do some exploratory surgery. There is even a slight bit of rudder adjustment via a small bendable tab. Not elegant, but functional. The nose is a foam rubber. Hmmmm....... I found that odd. I eventually found the reason and it works well. The Charger/Remote serves double duty. After inserting the 6 AA batteries into the transmitter, a side panel is opened and the charging lead is brought out to insert into the plane. Once the lead is inserted into the plane, push the charging button and the red indicator light flashes. It continues to flash until the charge cycle is complete, at that time the LED light changes to green. To perform the double charge, once the first charge is complete, pull out the charging connector and re-insert. Push the charge button again for another complete cycle. You'll find the plane performs best this way, but battery life in the transmitter is decreased. You'll want to replace the batteries in the transmitter as soon as you see decreased flight times and or altitude. On the subect of the transmitter portion, the charger/remote is still the same terrible gated single joystick that makes changes in power and direction at the same time nearly impossible. The range is acceptable and the idea of the the charger and tranmitter combo is great. If the Aero Ace technology were used is would be a major improvement. That being said, on to the flight....... The maiden flight was near sunset, the sky was clear and the air was still. The hand launch was a snap and immediatly the plane started to move out. I had expected the same leisurely flight characteristics that the Dominator had. Basically that one you just try and fly it around and it looks sort of scale in the air. This one is definately faster, It looks great in the air and is fairly agile for what it is. You have to anticipate the turning, but once you get used to it there are some neat things you can do. The plane climbs out well without any additional throttle input, the plane goes where you point it, however it has a tendency to porpoise a bit as wind speeds climb. It actually flies typical of any rudder only, single engine speed plane..... with some exceptions. Once you lose airspeed, it plumets toward the ground like a laser guided bunker buster on it's way toward an Iraqi presidential bunker. In some ways, there are some great tricks that can be done. Throttle it up to altitude and turn off the transmitter. The engines stop, the plane eventually stalls. It instantly snaps into a twisting dive straight toward mother earth. After a few twists and 50 ft of stright down, turn on the transmitter with your full throttle engauged. It rockets out of the dive in a wicked snap and if you're good with a joystick, this is capible of some cool manouvers. Not enough power for a loop, but some cool stuff for a $30 toy. Now that being said, make sure you bring it down before you run out of power. I don't think I have to describe the end result more accurately than it's a bunker buster. Landing is altogether another issue. I've only been able to get a decent glide path down on a couple of flights. Now I have to say that I am trying to land in close confines, the average big field is pretty easy. I'm trying to consistantly land in a 20x20 patch of my side lawn. Most times I had to fly it down to about waist high and cut power from the transmitter and force it into a frenzied lawn dart trajectory and I can drop it there almost every time. Now I see why the foam nose cone. It cushions the fall pretty good, sometimes bouncing like an Aero Ace, sometimes imbedding nose first into the grass like unexploded ordinance. I still worry about the lack of glide cability. The way this dives, it looks spectacular doing stunts but flying out of range would have catastrophic results. I've already put 15 flights on it, a double charge each time and it does fly. Does it fly like something with 3 channels? Heck no. I think the biggest hinderance to this is the electronics/ transmitter. If one could have throttle control like the Aero Ace, left and right control like the aero ace, this would be a serious winner. Without it, you have to muscle it around and the drama level is fair. It's not as easy to control direction precisely, but I'm having fun with it considering what it is. When this one is trahed, I will buy another. The airframe will make some interesting conversions. When you guys get these and finally burn out the motos, I would love to have the intact leftover airframe for another project. As far as kids flying it, they will have a blast. It will also keep them entertained as they will be doing some long distance fetching in between flights. Unless they learn the trick of bringing it down while there is still battery power, it's going to land somewhere other than expected.
Posted on: 5/20/2006 2:12 PM by Author "Joe 1320" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4298504