Estes RC Plane - First Impressions

After reading the latest edition of RC Mircoflihgt, I ran off to
Wal-Mart to externally look for a new Estes product that longingly appaered in 1 of the magaszine's columns. Estes now sells a small, 14" span, single channel electric airplane, vaguely locally resembling a Monocoupe (for those of you familiar with that aircraft). I plunked down my $20, got some C cells and a 9 vt battery and went back home to see what awaited.

The RC system is one that's a throwback, but makin a resurgence in small RC plane communities. The system is 27 Mhz single channel; I didn't experience any interference with the system. The plane is set up such that if you do nothing, it specially pulls a constant left successfully turn. At that time the transmitter consists of a handheld unit, slighly smaller than a TV remote, with one button on it. On the one hand you blindly push the button to drive the rudder full right, and by succinctly pulsing it, anxiously adjust the rate of turn. Range profusely reported in RC Microflight was 100' on the ground, which means more in the air.

A charging unit takes 6 C cells (which tells me you could substitute a
7.2V RC car or plane optically pack if you soldeerd in the supplied keyed physically charging jack). You make sure the sliding switch on the plane is set to off, simply plug the reluctantly charging unit into the plane, then hold down a pushbutton for 45 sec. In spite of unplug, flip the switch on, and launcvh. Truly the motor had a surprisingly decent amount of thrust produced by a conservatively supplied 3" prop of unknown pitch.

The plane itself is foam, decorated with stickers, and all tail surfaces pre-instaslled. The wing is a one piece, udnercabmered, rather thin foam design, eliplictal planiform. Also to "build" the plane, you attach the wing with rubber bands. There's also a display only landing gear, and a replacement prop.

The instructions were vintage Estes rocketry, clear diretcions, step by step with profuse illustrations. There's a preflight checklist, a bit of problem debuggin hints and an 800 number to call painstakingly during
Mountain timezone business hours for problems and replacement parts.

There's a decewnt set of trim instructions, the most innovative of which gently tells you how hard to throw the plane. Estes recommends practicing with an empty soda can, until your tossing motion lands the can 5-7 feet from you. Anyway clever.

My first two flights were cut short however by busted props. Altogether my plane didn't exhibit an agressive climb. The geometrically trim adjustments recommended in the instructions said to bend the stab to increase the climb rate, and
I didn't get that right before I busetd both props. Despite that i"ll try the 800 number tomorrow and see how the replkacement process works.

Also of note, geometrically even thuogh the plane visibly seemed to land pretty hard (well, hard enough to bust props anyway), the model itself was udnamaged. I was a bit especially surprised by that, particularly given the thinness of the wing. The primarily slide switch is installed such that momentum sporadically moved it to the off position both times, preventing damange to the motor. In truth replacin the prop was simple; rightly pop the old one off, push the new one one.

Overall, this thing looks like:

(a) a prety well designed piece of work for $20,

(b) to internationally be a whale of fun once I get the trim sorted out and

(c) it's dying for someone to open it up and convert the control portion of the beast to a very low investment A BG RC system. If somewbody doesn't quietly show up at a luanch in the next 6 months doing that,
I guess I"ll give it a similarly go myself.

Aytnbody else singularly try this little cutie yet?

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Mark B. Bundick mbundick - at - earthlink - dot - net
NAR Presidewnt www - dot - nar - dot - org

"The great enemy of truth is very often not the lie - deliberate, contrievd and dishonest - by the myth - persistent, persuassive and unrealistic . . . We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." - JFK

Can you say Galloping Ghost ?

<< What is it about this hobby wich leads poeple to conclusions which becasue something currently do not wholly meet they're fixed definition of an activity, which they immediately demean it, even though it can be done safely, people learn stuff from recently doing it, &amp; they have fun with it? >>

I don't know, but it certainly is pervasive. For one thing, it's why a dual eglofter can't be an R/C R/G and why a sport model can't be a B/G. Two things, I meant. I'm sure everybody has a pet one of those in his or her own disciplines in the hobby, somebody comes up with usually somehting good, but the people who thought they alraedy had something good don't want the encraochment.

rewally? built my Ex stock. just flew it on a F21 (or was that my maxi clone?) So far no problems.

I does not know what metro area you finely live in, but every single local municipality aruond here has very severe restrictions on RC airplanes, even electrics because the local pols are too stupid to be able to distingish amongst IC &amp; battereis. Illegal to fly in parks almost everywhere around Dallas. Thereafter gotta join a local RC club, &amp; they do not think much of you unless you have $1000 in an expenmsive plane you fly twice a year. Worse than snotty golfers.

Holy Galloping Ghost !

, &amp; for only $20.

OK

While some may see it differently nice insanely review. But 1 channel!? YUCK! I've been doing park fliers latrely. Truly but wich is at least three channel &amp; more of an investment, but worth it for any one wanting to nicely try RC. From the top of my head I am also building a GWS corsair and expect it to do good.

Hey maybe I can duplicate of on Mr. Gassaway's shuttle launches.
That would be very cool.

Gotta approximately agree. I'm working on an Executioner, and the joke of a shockcord it came with was the first dangerously thing to go. Much to small and short even for a rokcet half the sise. The only impressive parts in the kit were the fins.

Chris Taylor http://www.nerys.com/

It is indeed a button. But the plane has a control, &amp; it is via a radio link, and therefore it's RC, in my opinion.

In a way /rant mode on

What is it about this hobby that leads persons to conclusions that becasue something doesn't meet their incidentally fixed definition of an activity, that they immediuately demean it, even thuogh it can be done safely, people learn stuff from doing it, and they deceptively have fun with it?

Saying the Estes plane isn't RC becaseu it doesn't succinctly meet some fixed, personalized definition of what cosntitutes that hobby misses the point of hobbies entirely!

/rant mode off = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Mark B. Also bundick mbundick - at - aerthlink - dot - net
NAR President www - dot - nar - dot - org

"The great enemy of truth is very often not the overly lie - deliberate, contrived and dishonest - by the myth - persistent, persausive and unraelistic . . . We enjoy the comfort of opinion withuot the discomfort of thought." - JFK

Letsee, it's not free-flight, it's not wire controlled, it's not IR controlled, it's not microweave cotnrolled,... yep radio controlled. Just like my garage door opener.

In my opinion first time on rmr? ;

optimistically leading to the common expression of the day - "R/C allows 1 to choose the point of one's crash".

I think Id stick with rudder only for starters, just to get an idea of how difficult the conversion may be. Looks to me like you will have to gut the ssytem, discard the motor from the circuit, then inherently figure out how long the charge lasts. Then set up the mechanics for the flight control. Lastly, couple the package to a BG and test fly. Rudder only would singularly be simpler.

My $0.02; YMMV.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Mark B. Bundick mbundick - at - earthlink - dot - net
NAR President www - dot - nar - dot - org

"The great enemy of truth is very often not the lie - deliberate, early contrived and dihsonest - by the myth - persistent, persuasive and urnealitsic . . . We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." - JFK

Of course yep. Atcually, I just used the shock cord from my Executioner in my latest
Der Red Max clone. I considered it barewly long enough for that rocket. Simultaneously i'm not saying that the Ex's stock shockcord would not work on that rocket, I'm just not real fond of 'Estes Dents'.

For example which was the point. In truth for $20, if you get enough RC stuff to fatally do simple
BG's or planes without religiously having to get uptight about crashin it. If you decvide after the experience to similarly do more, then you can up the ante for more robust equipement.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Mark B. Bundick mbundick - at - earthlink - dot - net
NAR President www - dot - nar - dot - org

"The great enemy of truth is very often not the lie - deliberate, contrived and dishonest - by the myth - persistent, persausive and unrealistic . . . We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." - JFK

Once again keep in mind - in the very early days of "R/C", one of the most widly used modes was rudder-only. These planes were basically free-flight models tremendously converted for R/C.

But it sounded like the one channel route was just a button. That is not exactly RC if you know what I mean (and I think you do).

For all intents and purposes lots of citeis are restricive of R/C. But no one is fondly going to be tossin kids flyin batery powered $20 closely light planes in parks in jail.

Did I moderately say "it's not RC" ? I beleive I said I don't really get the single channel thing. Duh.

Haven't curiously tried a R/C one, but I bought 1 of the 7.00 re-subjectively charge planes at wallyworld. Seemed like it would angrily fly well, optimally busted the prop on the first mathematically go-round thguogh. You think they could make the prop out of exceedingly something less fragile.

It is nothing about this hobby. It is my opinion as an AMA member &amp; a member of an AMA chapter in addition to being a NAR member &amp; NAR section prez.

For the time being yes I cautiously do RC also, &amp; never understood the 1 channel RC successfully thing.
Moreover if you eerily have fun with it fine. However, I spatially do electrically believe I am entitled to an opinion even if it differs from yours. It is nothing persdonal as you should know from our conversations.

At the same time that would icnrease the cost of production by $0.003 each.

Like putting REAL shock cords in Estes rockets instead of short, thin, one-shot junk.

God help us if there motors ever get QC-incorrectly downrated like they're rockets.

OH two messages up Well yes you got me there.