SPECIFICATIONS
Model type: RTF electric trainer
Skill level: Beginner
Wingspan: 59 inches
Wing area: 515 square inches
Length: 42.5 inches
Weight: 49 ounces (flying weight)
Power system: E-flite 15-size brushless motor; E-flite 30-amp ESC; 11.1-volt 3S 3,200 mAh LiPo with a 2-3S LiPo balancing charger (all included)
Radio system: Five-channel Spektrum DX5e (included) or four-channel DSM2- or DSMX-compatible transmitter
Retail price: $299.99
TEST-MODEL DETAILS
Ready-to-fly weight: 49 ounces
Flight duration: 12-15 minutes
PLUSES:
• A true RTF with easy assembly.
• Rock solid and stable.
• This revolutionizes pilot training.
• Large enough to help new pilots easily gauge orientation in flight.
• The airplane can grow with the pilot and has provisions for add-on floats.
MINUSES:
• Panic and SAFE mode toggles are too close together.
• It would be nice to include an AC charger.
Two years ago I stood in a field with a model aviation instructor. He toggled a switch on his transmitter and turned to me and said, “Chad, it’s all yours.” Tethered to his transmitter was my transmitter in a typical buddy-box fashion. I was a pilot in training, and for the first time, I was in control of an airborne basic trainer.
I learned two things that afternoon. I discovered that I really enjoyed flying, and I learned to never fly without sunglasses!
After a few flying sessions with my instructor, I conducted my first solo takeoff and landing. Although I was feeling confident in my flying ability, I wasn’t confident enough to invest much money or time into the hobby. If I was going to buy an aircraft, I figured it would be easier to tell my wife that I destroyed a $50 airplane instead of a $300 model.
During the next couple years, my aviation fleet only included a small foamy and a couple of micro helicopters. I never again flew on the flying field, resolving to be a reclusive pilot and only flying in my house or backyard.
Perhaps it is poetic justice that I am writing the Horizon Hobby E-flite Apprentice S15e review. The flying experience that I described was with its predecessor, the Apprentice. Although the high-winged original Apprentice is an excellent trainer, I did not feel confident enough take steps to further improve my piloting skills.
When the Apprentice S 15e showed up on the market, because I had some experience with the original Apprentice, I felt an instant comfort level. Because I hadn’t flown for a while, I lost some of my training. The Apprentice S was touted among hobbyists as “practically able to fly itself,” So I decided to make a second, more serious attempt to pick up the hobby.
A key feature of the Apprentice S is its integrated Sensor Assisted Flight Envelope (SAFE) technology. This makes RC flight insanely easy. A sophisticated combination of sensors and software enable the aircraft to understand its position so it can correct itself, improving stability.
Coupled with AS3X stabilization, E-flite described this airplane as “… the most intelligent RC airplane ever …” As a beginner I simply had to flip a switch and allow the SAFE technology to compensate for my lack of skill.
Assembly
The packaging was nice. The Apprentice S is a true RTF model. Everything is included in the box: a DX5e transmitter, installed servos and brushless motor, a 3S LiPo battery, and a charger.
I expected to find a standard charger that could plug into an outlet. Instead, I can only charge my LiPo using a car battery. This slightly complicated the setup, but I assume that E-flite included the DC charger to keep the package price affordable.
The second minor quirk during the assembly was that I had to remove the decals and cowl to install the nose wheel. I wasn’t keen on having to strip the decals from my new, unmolested aircraft, but I sucked it up and completed the task.
When installing the nose wheel, be sure the wheel post is completely inserted. I accidently installed the wheel incorrectly the first time, requiring me to again remove the decals and cowl and try again.
Despite a few minor hiccups, assembly was a breeze. I suggest using magnetic-tipped screwdrivers for the smaller screws. The manual is easy to navigate and in less than an hour, the Apprentice S was ready.
Activating SAFE Technology
There is no special setup required to install SAFE in the Apprentice S. SAFE is integrated throughout the aircraft with preinstalled sensors. The DX5e transmitter provides three levels of SAFE settings: beginner, intermediate, and expert.
The beginner mode fully activates SAFE. As a pilot becomes more comfortable flying, he or she can set the aircraft to intermediate mode via the transmitter. The intermediate mode keeps SAFE technology active, but at a subdued level. Eventually a pilot can graduate to expert level. In expert mode, SAFE technology is completely turned off. Throughout all modes, AS3X remains active.
A nice feature that I quickly grew to love is the panic switch. When in a dangerous situation, the panic button repositions the Apprentice S into an upright stable flying position. The reaction time between toggling the panic switch and the airplane recovering is merely a second or two. It is amazingly quick to react.
Preparing for Flight
The Apprentice S offers revolutionary flight stability technology, but E-flite is quick to indicate that a beginner pilot still needs an experienced pilot or instructor. Yes, the Apprentice S practically takes off, flies, and lands itself, but I quickly learned that there are still many safety measures, flying techniques, and maintenance tips that should be learned with an experienced pilot.
I stress the importance of an instructor because there are safety concerns. A new pilot may not know the importance of first activating the transmitter before turning on the aircraft, or if a new pilot accidently sustains injuries, having a second person on-site is invaluable.
The goal of SAFE technology is to groom pilots to become skilled enough to fly independently. Flying should be more than just pointing an aircraft in the right direction. Beginner pilots should work toward becoming less dependent on the SAFE technology. The best way to learn proper flight and recovery techniques is with the aid of a seasoned pilot or instructor.
Maiden Flight
I returned to the same field at which I flew the Apprentices S’s predecessor a few years earlier. This time I had SAFE technology and an instructor in tow. The skies were clear, but there were wind gusts exceeding 10 mph. The manual discourages flying with beginner SAFE mode activated in winds above 5-7 mph.
With this large, 59-inch wingspan aircraft, I assumed I was invulnerable to 10-15 mph winds, but that was not necessarily the case. Although 10-plus mph winds were not an issue in intermediate or expert mode, when the Apprentice S was in beginner mode I had some minor trouble taking off.
In SAFE mode, limiters are placed on the Apprentice S to protect the pilot from making bad decisions. For example, in full beginner SAFE mode, the throttle is limited so new pilots don’t accidently run full throttle at unsafe speeds. When fighting wind at reduced throttle, the Apprentice S at times practically hovered as it struggled to overcome the wind. To take off in the wind, I had to set the SAFE setting to intermediate mode. Once in the air I set SAFE mode back to beginner.
Flying in beginner mode, the Apprentice S climbed into the sky. E-flite makes it clear that the Apprentice S is not an autopiloted aircraft. Perhaps a better analogy is that the Apprentice S took me back to my first flying experience using a buddy box. It was as though my instructor took over the controls and helped me get the Apprentice S in a level position at a safe elevation.
Unlike my smaller foamy and micro helicopters, the aircraft’s size is a huge benefit for inexperienced pilots. It allowed me to easily determine the airplane’s direction and orientation, and it built my confidence knowing I was again soloing a larger aircraft.
I flew the Apprentice S into a gentle, beautiful first turn. Without SAFE mode, pulling the stick too far left or right could cause the aircraft to invert, bank too sharply and nosedive, or spin out of control. But no matter how far I pulled the stick either left or right, the airplane only made graceful, level banks.
Short of crashing into a tree or other obstacle, in beginner SAFE mode it would be difficult to crash the Apprentice S. The airplane was consistently level and flew at a nice, steady pace. Even in downward descent, the nose never dramatically dipped. It would be a challenge to lawn dart the Apprentice S.
After few turns around the flying field, I was ready to step up my game. I pulled the toggle on my DX5e to intermediate SAFE mode. I instantly found the Apprentice S in a more responsive state. The wind was no longer a factor. Intermediate SAFE mode coupled with the AS3X technology allowed me to fly the Apprentice S without any problems. The airplane was rock solid.
When I brought the Apprentice S in for a landing, I placed SAFE mode in the beginner setting. I wanted to see if the aircraft could really land itself. My instructor helped me line up my approach. As I came in for a landing, I retarded the throttle and pulled up on the nose.
The combination of too much throttle, an upward nose, full SAFE mode, and a strong wind caused me to overshoot the first few landing attempts. Each time I was easily able to recover by climbing to a safe altitude so I could circle the runway and try again to land.
After a few more failed landing attempts, I decided to let SAFE do the work for me. I aligned the Apprentice S with the runway, nearly killed the throttle, and touched nothing else. The Apprentice S came in for a great landing.
Additional Flights
I logged quite a few flights in only a couple of weeks and was enjoying the hobby! In full beginner SAFE mode, the Apprentice S would take off and land nearly perfectly. Before long, I found myself consistently using intermediate or expert mode.
E-flite did a terrific job of finding the perfect balance between beginner, intermediate, and expert SAFE modes. After a few flights, most pilots will naturally find beginner mode limiting and will intuitively graduate to the next skill setting.
I admit that panic mode saved me quite a few times. My goal was to rely less on SAFE and eventually learn how to fly or correct a dumb thumbs move without technology’s aid. It took discipline to learn to correct an error without relying on the panic button.
Once when I engaged panic mode, I heard a snap. I immediately landed and noticed a rubber band had snapped off. Panic mode is extremely quick to correct the Apprentice S’s position. The likely cause of the broken rubber band was from worn bands and not the sudden maneuvering from panic mode.
The positions of the expert SAFE mode switch and the panic mode switch are in close proximity. On a few occasions, I accidently turned on expert mode, completely killing SAFE instead of pulling the panic button.
This was the opposite of my intention, and the Apprentice S made a couple of hard landings. Luckily, the Apprentice S is built with Z-foam and can take a good beating. New pilot should dedicate time to learn how to operate the transmitter by feel.
Growing with the Apprentice S
The Apprentice S can grow with you. This high-winged trainer is not a highly aerobatic aircraft, but it can perform loops, rolls, and inverted flight. E-flite also offers floats that can convert the Apprentice S into a seaplane, offering a different flying experience.
The Apprentice S revolutionizes the instructor-and-buddy-box approach toward training and grooming new pilots. It arms a beginner pilot with the tools to learn how to become an intermediate and eventually expert pilot.
If you belong to a club that wants to teach new pilots, the Apprentice S would make a great club trainer. If you are debating purchasing an Apprentice S to teach yourself to fly, this is a no-brainer. Find a model aviation instructor, get your hands on the Apprentice S, head to a flying field, and before you know it, you’ll be in expert mode!
