Park View: Thunder Tiger Profile EP Christen Eagle
GREG GIMLICK
• Easy and fast assembly with great parts fit.
• Well-illustrated instruction manual.
• Preapplied graphics.
• Excellent fuselage doublers installed on
the nose.
• Stock power setup easily supports 3-D
flying on a 3S Li-Poly pack.
• “Cute factor.”
Pluses and Minuses
+
- • Weak landing-gear mounting method.
• Brittle gearbox prop shaft.
Type: Aerobatic/3-D sport ARF
Pilot skill level: Advanced
Wingspan: 31 inches
Wing area: 369.8 square inches
Length: 32 inches
Weight: 10.5 ounces
Wing loading: 4.1 ounces per square foot
Motor (recommended): Speed 370
geared
Radio: Four channels (minimum), three
microservos
Construction: 5mm flat EPP foam sheet
Covering/finish: Preapplied graphics
Price: $45.19 (Manufacturer’s Suggested
Retail Price)
Specifications Test-Model Details
Motor: Super 370 geared 6:1 (as
supplied)
Battery: Poly-Quest PQ-1200-3S
Propeller: 11 x 8 (included)
Motor current: 11 amps
Radio system: Multiplex Royal Evo 9,
Berg five-channel receiver, Hitec HS-
55 servos
Ready-to-fly weight: 13 ounces
Ready-to-fly wing loading: 5.1
ounces per square foot
Flight duration: 5-10 minutes
WITH THE proliferation of “foamies” on
the market today, it can be daunting to
select one that suits your flying skills and
your aesthetic requirements. The Thunder
Tiger Christen Eagle did both for me and I
think you’ll be pleased with it too. I like
airplanes that look like airplanes, so even
though the Christen Eagle is a profile
type, there is no mistaking that it’s an
Eagle.
In the Box: As the photo shows,
everything shakes out of the box nicely
protected and packed in plastic bags. All
the components are grouped in their own
bags and securely fastened to the box so
nothing is damaged during shipping.
The instructions are complete and well
illustrated, including a section to identify
every part of the kit. It even included a
couple little bottles of epoxy, so there’s
really nothing for you to buy unless you
need radio equipment.
Assembly: If you buy this kit on a Friday
and don’t have many plans for Saturday,
you’ll be flying it on Sunday. All graphics
are applied at the factory; if you’ve
constructed a few foam park flyer-type
kits, you know that’s a time-consuming
chore.
The surfaces are all hinged and only
require checking to make sure they are
well adhered. My kit had one aileron that
didn’t want to stick, so I replaced the
hinge with SR Batteries Hinge Tape. I’ve
used this product since it was introduced
and haven’t found anything that works as
well.
Be sure to follow the instructions
closely and pay attention to which model
they are referring. The book shows how
to build three different kits that are in the
3-D Profile EP line. That may sound
confusing, but it really isn’t.
Have your radio equipment by your
side when you begin because you will be
building a couple of the servos into the
airplane as you go. When you do the
aileron servo, be sure to hook it up and
have it properly centered before you
install it. Once installed, you won’t be
able to remove the horn to reposition it.
The wings are self-aligning because
of the tabbed wing supports and fuselage
brace. Go slowly and trial-fit everything
before you epoxy them in place. The
center support is reinforced with balsa
triangle stock.
All four ailerons are functional and
the preformed control rods fit perfectly,
although I had trouble threading the rods
onto the clevises. You’ll save yourself
much time and aggravation if you tap
them ahead of time using a tap or one of
the threaded rods.
The landing gear is an interesting and
efficient arrangement, but be sure to
follow the instructions or you’ll end up
installing a wheel before you insert the
block into the fuselage. (Don’t ask me
how I know that.) If you don’t make that
little mistake, it will take you only a few
minutes to assemble the gear.
The wheel pants are cute, and the
method of installing them is ingenious
and effective. The wheel retainer is also
the mount for the pants.
All the control horns have ribbed tabs
A great-looking
“real” airplane in
foam clothing with
impressive electricpower
performance
July 2006 57
58 MODEL AVIATION
The radio gear mounts down one side of the fuselage with Velcro or tape. The battery
was mounted on the opposite side up under the top wing.
Tail-surface servos are mounted in the side of the fuselage. The control-surface
pushrods are presized and adjusted with the swivel clevises provided.
Kit contents as they shake out of the box show the beautiful color scheme already
applied to the parts. Epoxy adhesive is included as a friendly addition.
Upper and lower ailerons are coupled
with supplied linkages. An aileron servo
fits in provided cutout in the center of
the fuselage, over the bottom wing.
With the stock brushed power system and
three-cell Li-Poly battery, the Eagle easily
executes a rapid climbout upon takeoff.
The Eagle stops looking like a flat foam
profile model. Flight times average five to
10 minutes with a 1200 mAh battery.
Photos by the author
and retainers that lock onto them. Don’t
experiment to see if they will hold or
you’ll have a problem getting them apart.
(I didn’t trust them so I experimented, and
they really do hold well.) It is
recommended to use epoxy when you
install them, and that’s probably a good
idea but I doubt it’s necessary.
If you place all your radio equipment
and battery where the instructions
indicate, you’ll find that the model
balances nicely without a great deal of
adjustment.
Power System: The kit comes with a
Super 370 motor and gearbox that you’ll
have to assemble. If you’ve never done
this before, you’ll learn how easy it is.
All the components of the box went
together well and mounted easily to the
predrilled section on the fuselage. The
instructions have you break in the motor
using low voltage and a couple drops of
oil. This is a good idea, but be sure to go
light on the oil and don’t run the motor
until it gets hot.
The provided 11-inch propeller mounts
on the threaded shaft. This leaves enough
shaft protruding on which to mount the
rubber safety spinner.
You’ll need to provide a speed control
that will handle approximately 12 amps
and has a voltage cutoff if you’re going to
use Li-Poly cells. I chose a Poly-Quest 3S-
1200 mAh pack I got from Model
Electronics Corporation and an
AstroFlight Micro Series 115 speed
control.
That speed-control unit is no longer
available and doesn’t provide a
programmable voltage cutoff, so it will be
replaced now that the test flights are
complete. I used what I had on hand and
kept track of the time so I didn’t draw the
battery down too far.
Radio: Any radio will do the trick as long
as you have microservos and receivers to
save weight and fit the spaces provided. I
used my synthesized Multiplex Royal Evo
9 transmitter linked to a Berg five-channel
receiver and three Hitec HS-55 servos.
Flight Characteristics: The Christen
Eagle is not designed for beginners. I
don’t recommend it to anyone who is not
already comfortable with a low-wing
sport airplane with ailerons.
With the stock motor setup, this model
is sprightly using a 3S Li-Poly pack and is
capable of any maneuver you want it to
attempt. I have no doubt that it will
impress with the recommended brushless
upgrade.
This little airplane will slow down and
plod along hanging on the propeller, but
mine drops the left wing so I need to do
some work there (check for wing
warping). The stalls are fairly quick, as
you’d expect from a 3-D aircraft, but they
are not abrupt and the Eagle recovers
easily. With the power of even the stock
system, you can fly out of any trouble you
get into by adding throttle and flying
away.
This isn’t a speedster, and with that big
propeller out front it isn’t meant to be, but
it does scoot along nicely.
Maneuverability is excellent; all four
ailerons are functional. With the rates on
high the Eagle is touchy in the pitch
attitude; but I have my CG set at the aft
parameters, so this could be dampened out
a bit by changing that.
3-D flight is what you buy this model to
do, and it won’t disappoint. On the test
flight it was off the ground within a couple
of feet, and against the pilot’s better
judgment it was hovering 6 feet off the
ground. I don’t recommend this to anyone
before the airplane is thoroughly trimmed
and checked, but it just wanted to do it.
With the stock geared motor on the
Poly-Quest 3S-1200 pack spinning the 11
x 8 propeller, any 3-D maneuver is
possible. The stock setup’s performance is
extremely impressive.
I’m thrilled with this airplane. It looks
good in the air and went together quickly.
I advise that you reinforce the landinggear
mount with a bit of cloth and epoxy
or leave it off altogether. Most 3-D
foamies go without gear anyway.
The stock motor gets warm, but after
dozens of flights it was still pulling well
enough before being upgraded to a
brushless setup. I only did this because I
wanted to test this new setup—not
because I wasn’t happy with the stock
motor. You won’t find much more fun
than this for a stock $50 airplane. MA
Greg Gimlick
[email protected]
Distributor:
Ace Hobby Distributors, Inc.
2055 Main St.
Irvine CA 92614
(949) 833-0088
www.acehobby.com
Sources:
Model Electronics Corporation
(866) 507-9956
www.modelelectronicscorp.com
AstroFlight
(310) 821-6242
www.astroflight.com
Hitec
(858) 748-6948
www.hitecrcd.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/07
Page Numbers: 58,59,60
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/07
Page Numbers: 58,59,60
Park View: Thunder Tiger Profile EP Christen Eagle
GREG GIMLICK
• Easy and fast assembly with great parts fit.
• Well-illustrated instruction manual.
• Preapplied graphics.
• Excellent fuselage doublers installed on
the nose.
• Stock power setup easily supports 3-D
flying on a 3S Li-Poly pack.
• “Cute factor.”
Pluses and Minuses
+
- • Weak landing-gear mounting method.
• Brittle gearbox prop shaft.
Type: Aerobatic/3-D sport ARF
Pilot skill level: Advanced
Wingspan: 31 inches
Wing area: 369.8 square inches
Length: 32 inches
Weight: 10.5 ounces
Wing loading: 4.1 ounces per square foot
Motor (recommended): Speed 370
geared
Radio: Four channels (minimum), three
microservos
Construction: 5mm flat EPP foam sheet
Covering/finish: Preapplied graphics
Price: $45.19 (Manufacturer’s Suggested
Retail Price)
Specifications Test-Model Details
Motor: Super 370 geared 6:1 (as
supplied)
Battery: Poly-Quest PQ-1200-3S
Propeller: 11 x 8 (included)
Motor current: 11 amps
Radio system: Multiplex Royal Evo 9,
Berg five-channel receiver, Hitec HS-
55 servos
Ready-to-fly weight: 13 ounces
Ready-to-fly wing loading: 5.1
ounces per square foot
Flight duration: 5-10 minutes
WITH THE proliferation of “foamies” on
the market today, it can be daunting to
select one that suits your flying skills and
your aesthetic requirements. The Thunder
Tiger Christen Eagle did both for me and I
think you’ll be pleased with it too. I like
airplanes that look like airplanes, so even
though the Christen Eagle is a profile
type, there is no mistaking that it’s an
Eagle.
In the Box: As the photo shows,
everything shakes out of the box nicely
protected and packed in plastic bags. All
the components are grouped in their own
bags and securely fastened to the box so
nothing is damaged during shipping.
The instructions are complete and well
illustrated, including a section to identify
every part of the kit. It even included a
couple little bottles of epoxy, so there’s
really nothing for you to buy unless you
need radio equipment.
Assembly: If you buy this kit on a Friday
and don’t have many plans for Saturday,
you’ll be flying it on Sunday. All graphics
are applied at the factory; if you’ve
constructed a few foam park flyer-type
kits, you know that’s a time-consuming
chore.
The surfaces are all hinged and only
require checking to make sure they are
well adhered. My kit had one aileron that
didn’t want to stick, so I replaced the
hinge with SR Batteries Hinge Tape. I’ve
used this product since it was introduced
and haven’t found anything that works as
well.
Be sure to follow the instructions
closely and pay attention to which model
they are referring. The book shows how
to build three different kits that are in the
3-D Profile EP line. That may sound
confusing, but it really isn’t.
Have your radio equipment by your
side when you begin because you will be
building a couple of the servos into the
airplane as you go. When you do the
aileron servo, be sure to hook it up and
have it properly centered before you
install it. Once installed, you won’t be
able to remove the horn to reposition it.
The wings are self-aligning because
of the tabbed wing supports and fuselage
brace. Go slowly and trial-fit everything
before you epoxy them in place. The
center support is reinforced with balsa
triangle stock.
All four ailerons are functional and
the preformed control rods fit perfectly,
although I had trouble threading the rods
onto the clevises. You’ll save yourself
much time and aggravation if you tap
them ahead of time using a tap or one of
the threaded rods.
The landing gear is an interesting and
efficient arrangement, but be sure to
follow the instructions or you’ll end up
installing a wheel before you insert the
block into the fuselage. (Don’t ask me
how I know that.) If you don’t make that
little mistake, it will take you only a few
minutes to assemble the gear.
The wheel pants are cute, and the
method of installing them is ingenious
and effective. The wheel retainer is also
the mount for the pants.
All the control horns have ribbed tabs
A great-looking
“real” airplane in
foam clothing with
impressive electricpower
performance
July 2006 57
58 MODEL AVIATION
The radio gear mounts down one side of the fuselage with Velcro or tape. The battery
was mounted on the opposite side up under the top wing.
Tail-surface servos are mounted in the side of the fuselage. The control-surface
pushrods are presized and adjusted with the swivel clevises provided.
Kit contents as they shake out of the box show the beautiful color scheme already
applied to the parts. Epoxy adhesive is included as a friendly addition.
Upper and lower ailerons are coupled
with supplied linkages. An aileron servo
fits in provided cutout in the center of
the fuselage, over the bottom wing.
With the stock brushed power system and
three-cell Li-Poly battery, the Eagle easily
executes a rapid climbout upon takeoff.
The Eagle stops looking like a flat foam
profile model. Flight times average five to
10 minutes with a 1200 mAh battery.
Photos by the author
and retainers that lock onto them. Don’t
experiment to see if they will hold or
you’ll have a problem getting them apart.
(I didn’t trust them so I experimented, and
they really do hold well.) It is
recommended to use epoxy when you
install them, and that’s probably a good
idea but I doubt it’s necessary.
If you place all your radio equipment
and battery where the instructions
indicate, you’ll find that the model
balances nicely without a great deal of
adjustment.
Power System: The kit comes with a
Super 370 motor and gearbox that you’ll
have to assemble. If you’ve never done
this before, you’ll learn how easy it is.
All the components of the box went
together well and mounted easily to the
predrilled section on the fuselage. The
instructions have you break in the motor
using low voltage and a couple drops of
oil. This is a good idea, but be sure to go
light on the oil and don’t run the motor
until it gets hot.
The provided 11-inch propeller mounts
on the threaded shaft. This leaves enough
shaft protruding on which to mount the
rubber safety spinner.
You’ll need to provide a speed control
that will handle approximately 12 amps
and has a voltage cutoff if you’re going to
use Li-Poly cells. I chose a Poly-Quest 3S-
1200 mAh pack I got from Model
Electronics Corporation and an
AstroFlight Micro Series 115 speed
control.
That speed-control unit is no longer
available and doesn’t provide a
programmable voltage cutoff, so it will be
replaced now that the test flights are
complete. I used what I had on hand and
kept track of the time so I didn’t draw the
battery down too far.
Radio: Any radio will do the trick as long
as you have microservos and receivers to
save weight and fit the spaces provided. I
used my synthesized Multiplex Royal Evo
9 transmitter linked to a Berg five-channel
receiver and three Hitec HS-55 servos.
Flight Characteristics: The Christen
Eagle is not designed for beginners. I
don’t recommend it to anyone who is not
already comfortable with a low-wing
sport airplane with ailerons.
With the stock motor setup, this model
is sprightly using a 3S Li-Poly pack and is
capable of any maneuver you want it to
attempt. I have no doubt that it will
impress with the recommended brushless
upgrade.
This little airplane will slow down and
plod along hanging on the propeller, but
mine drops the left wing so I need to do
some work there (check for wing
warping). The stalls are fairly quick, as
you’d expect from a 3-D aircraft, but they
are not abrupt and the Eagle recovers
easily. With the power of even the stock
system, you can fly out of any trouble you
get into by adding throttle and flying
away.
This isn’t a speedster, and with that big
propeller out front it isn’t meant to be, but
it does scoot along nicely.
Maneuverability is excellent; all four
ailerons are functional. With the rates on
high the Eagle is touchy in the pitch
attitude; but I have my CG set at the aft
parameters, so this could be dampened out
a bit by changing that.
3-D flight is what you buy this model to
do, and it won’t disappoint. On the test
flight it was off the ground within a couple
of feet, and against the pilot’s better
judgment it was hovering 6 feet off the
ground. I don’t recommend this to anyone
before the airplane is thoroughly trimmed
and checked, but it just wanted to do it.
With the stock geared motor on the
Poly-Quest 3S-1200 pack spinning the 11
x 8 propeller, any 3-D maneuver is
possible. The stock setup’s performance is
extremely impressive.
I’m thrilled with this airplane. It looks
good in the air and went together quickly.
I advise that you reinforce the landinggear
mount with a bit of cloth and epoxy
or leave it off altogether. Most 3-D
foamies go without gear anyway.
The stock motor gets warm, but after
dozens of flights it was still pulling well
enough before being upgraded to a
brushless setup. I only did this because I
wanted to test this new setup—not
because I wasn’t happy with the stock
motor. You won’t find much more fun
than this for a stock $50 airplane. MA
Greg Gimlick
[email protected]
Distributor:
Ace Hobby Distributors, Inc.
2055 Main St.
Irvine CA 92614
(949) 833-0088
www.acehobby.com
Sources:
Model Electronics Corporation
(866) 507-9956
www.modelelectronicscorp.com
AstroFlight
(310) 821-6242
www.astroflight.com
Hitec
(858) 748-6948
www.hitecrcd.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/07
Page Numbers: 58,59,60
Park View: Thunder Tiger Profile EP Christen Eagle
GREG GIMLICK
• Easy and fast assembly with great parts fit.
• Well-illustrated instruction manual.
• Preapplied graphics.
• Excellent fuselage doublers installed on
the nose.
• Stock power setup easily supports 3-D
flying on a 3S Li-Poly pack.
• “Cute factor.”
Pluses and Minuses
+
- • Weak landing-gear mounting method.
• Brittle gearbox prop shaft.
Type: Aerobatic/3-D sport ARF
Pilot skill level: Advanced
Wingspan: 31 inches
Wing area: 369.8 square inches
Length: 32 inches
Weight: 10.5 ounces
Wing loading: 4.1 ounces per square foot
Motor (recommended): Speed 370
geared
Radio: Four channels (minimum), three
microservos
Construction: 5mm flat EPP foam sheet
Covering/finish: Preapplied graphics
Price: $45.19 (Manufacturer’s Suggested
Retail Price)
Specifications Test-Model Details
Motor: Super 370 geared 6:1 (as
supplied)
Battery: Poly-Quest PQ-1200-3S
Propeller: 11 x 8 (included)
Motor current: 11 amps
Radio system: Multiplex Royal Evo 9,
Berg five-channel receiver, Hitec HS-
55 servos
Ready-to-fly weight: 13 ounces
Ready-to-fly wing loading: 5.1
ounces per square foot
Flight duration: 5-10 minutes
WITH THE proliferation of “foamies” on
the market today, it can be daunting to
select one that suits your flying skills and
your aesthetic requirements. The Thunder
Tiger Christen Eagle did both for me and I
think you’ll be pleased with it too. I like
airplanes that look like airplanes, so even
though the Christen Eagle is a profile
type, there is no mistaking that it’s an
Eagle.
In the Box: As the photo shows,
everything shakes out of the box nicely
protected and packed in plastic bags. All
the components are grouped in their own
bags and securely fastened to the box so
nothing is damaged during shipping.
The instructions are complete and well
illustrated, including a section to identify
every part of the kit. It even included a
couple little bottles of epoxy, so there’s
really nothing for you to buy unless you
need radio equipment.
Assembly: If you buy this kit on a Friday
and don’t have many plans for Saturday,
you’ll be flying it on Sunday. All graphics
are applied at the factory; if you’ve
constructed a few foam park flyer-type
kits, you know that’s a time-consuming
chore.
The surfaces are all hinged and only
require checking to make sure they are
well adhered. My kit had one aileron that
didn’t want to stick, so I replaced the
hinge with SR Batteries Hinge Tape. I’ve
used this product since it was introduced
and haven’t found anything that works as
well.
Be sure to follow the instructions
closely and pay attention to which model
they are referring. The book shows how
to build three different kits that are in the
3-D Profile EP line. That may sound
confusing, but it really isn’t.
Have your radio equipment by your
side when you begin because you will be
building a couple of the servos into the
airplane as you go. When you do the
aileron servo, be sure to hook it up and
have it properly centered before you
install it. Once installed, you won’t be
able to remove the horn to reposition it.
The wings are self-aligning because
of the tabbed wing supports and fuselage
brace. Go slowly and trial-fit everything
before you epoxy them in place. The
center support is reinforced with balsa
triangle stock.
All four ailerons are functional and
the preformed control rods fit perfectly,
although I had trouble threading the rods
onto the clevises. You’ll save yourself
much time and aggravation if you tap
them ahead of time using a tap or one of
the threaded rods.
The landing gear is an interesting and
efficient arrangement, but be sure to
follow the instructions or you’ll end up
installing a wheel before you insert the
block into the fuselage. (Don’t ask me
how I know that.) If you don’t make that
little mistake, it will take you only a few
minutes to assemble the gear.
The wheel pants are cute, and the
method of installing them is ingenious
and effective. The wheel retainer is also
the mount for the pants.
All the control horns have ribbed tabs
A great-looking
“real” airplane in
foam clothing with
impressive electricpower
performance
July 2006 57
58 MODEL AVIATION
The radio gear mounts down one side of the fuselage with Velcro or tape. The battery
was mounted on the opposite side up under the top wing.
Tail-surface servos are mounted in the side of the fuselage. The control-surface
pushrods are presized and adjusted with the swivel clevises provided.
Kit contents as they shake out of the box show the beautiful color scheme already
applied to the parts. Epoxy adhesive is included as a friendly addition.
Upper and lower ailerons are coupled
with supplied linkages. An aileron servo
fits in provided cutout in the center of
the fuselage, over the bottom wing.
With the stock brushed power system and
three-cell Li-Poly battery, the Eagle easily
executes a rapid climbout upon takeoff.
The Eagle stops looking like a flat foam
profile model. Flight times average five to
10 minutes with a 1200 mAh battery.
Photos by the author
and retainers that lock onto them. Don’t
experiment to see if they will hold or
you’ll have a problem getting them apart.
(I didn’t trust them so I experimented, and
they really do hold well.) It is
recommended to use epoxy when you
install them, and that’s probably a good
idea but I doubt it’s necessary.
If you place all your radio equipment
and battery where the instructions
indicate, you’ll find that the model
balances nicely without a great deal of
adjustment.
Power System: The kit comes with a
Super 370 motor and gearbox that you’ll
have to assemble. If you’ve never done
this before, you’ll learn how easy it is.
All the components of the box went
together well and mounted easily to the
predrilled section on the fuselage. The
instructions have you break in the motor
using low voltage and a couple drops of
oil. This is a good idea, but be sure to go
light on the oil and don’t run the motor
until it gets hot.
The provided 11-inch propeller mounts
on the threaded shaft. This leaves enough
shaft protruding on which to mount the
rubber safety spinner.
You’ll need to provide a speed control
that will handle approximately 12 amps
and has a voltage cutoff if you’re going to
use Li-Poly cells. I chose a Poly-Quest 3S-
1200 mAh pack I got from Model
Electronics Corporation and an
AstroFlight Micro Series 115 speed
control.
That speed-control unit is no longer
available and doesn’t provide a
programmable voltage cutoff, so it will be
replaced now that the test flights are
complete. I used what I had on hand and
kept track of the time so I didn’t draw the
battery down too far.
Radio: Any radio will do the trick as long
as you have microservos and receivers to
save weight and fit the spaces provided. I
used my synthesized Multiplex Royal Evo
9 transmitter linked to a Berg five-channel
receiver and three Hitec HS-55 servos.
Flight Characteristics: The Christen
Eagle is not designed for beginners. I
don’t recommend it to anyone who is not
already comfortable with a low-wing
sport airplane with ailerons.
With the stock motor setup, this model
is sprightly using a 3S Li-Poly pack and is
capable of any maneuver you want it to
attempt. I have no doubt that it will
impress with the recommended brushless
upgrade.
This little airplane will slow down and
plod along hanging on the propeller, but
mine drops the left wing so I need to do
some work there (check for wing
warping). The stalls are fairly quick, as
you’d expect from a 3-D aircraft, but they
are not abrupt and the Eagle recovers
easily. With the power of even the stock
system, you can fly out of any trouble you
get into by adding throttle and flying
away.
This isn’t a speedster, and with that big
propeller out front it isn’t meant to be, but
it does scoot along nicely.
Maneuverability is excellent; all four
ailerons are functional. With the rates on
high the Eagle is touchy in the pitch
attitude; but I have my CG set at the aft
parameters, so this could be dampened out
a bit by changing that.
3-D flight is what you buy this model to
do, and it won’t disappoint. On the test
flight it was off the ground within a couple
of feet, and against the pilot’s better
judgment it was hovering 6 feet off the
ground. I don’t recommend this to anyone
before the airplane is thoroughly trimmed
and checked, but it just wanted to do it.
With the stock geared motor on the
Poly-Quest 3S-1200 pack spinning the 11
x 8 propeller, any 3-D maneuver is
possible. The stock setup’s performance is
extremely impressive.
I’m thrilled with this airplane. It looks
good in the air and went together quickly.
I advise that you reinforce the landinggear
mount with a bit of cloth and epoxy
or leave it off altogether. Most 3-D
foamies go without gear anyway.
The stock motor gets warm, but after
dozens of flights it was still pulling well
enough before being upgraded to a
brushless setup. I only did this because I
wanted to test this new setup—not
because I wasn’t happy with the stock
motor. You won’t find much more fun
than this for a stock $50 airplane. MA
Greg Gimlick
[email protected]
Distributor:
Ace Hobby Distributors, Inc.
2055 Main St.
Irvine CA 92614
(949) 833-0088
www.acehobby.com
Sources:
Model Electronics Corporation
(866) 507-9956
www.modelelectronicscorp.com
AstroFlight
(310) 821-6242
www.astroflight.com
Hitec
(858) 748-6948
www.hitecrcd.com