Park View: ElectriFly Pluma 3D EP ARF - 2009/03

DO YOU EVER wonder where
manufacturers get the names they use for
their RC aircraft? “Pluma” is the Latin word
for “feather.”
This model does fly like a feather, but it
looks like an avalanche, with its attractive
blue-and-white graphics. Another of this
ARF’s attractive features is the full fuselage
that hides all the gear inside, for a much
more streamlined and cleaner look.
The Pluma comes out of the box with
much of the work already done and has
some nice features, such as a prebuilt
fuselage, prehinged control surfaces with
Blenderm tape, and landing gear that is
already assembled. All of its Pro-Formancefoam
parts are assembled using foam-safe
cyanoacrylate and accelerator.
This model comes with a great deal of
carbon fiber (CF), to keep it light and strong.
Not only is CF used for all the pushrods, but
it is also used for the landing gear and wing
braces.
The carbon braces support the wings by
crisscrossing between them when inserted
into their precut openings in the fuselage
and wings. Great Planes even took the extra
step of reinforcing the wingtips, which can
have a tendency to eventually bow when not
reinforced.
One of the things I admired about the
Pluma’s construction was the quality of the
foam material; it was not only smooth and
bright, but it was also flat. So many such
airplanes’ foam parts have a bit of a curl to
them.
March 2009 75
Slight rudder is needed to carry a high-alpha knife-edge pass. No
other controls are held in to provide a slow pass at a constant
heading.
A little rudder touch in a closed flight area is a fun challenge.
Roughly 50% exponential is used to tame the flight controls
around center stick.
The full-body fuselage is provided as a complete assembly. Even
the landing-gear legs are finished with the wheel pants installed.
Carbon-fiber crossbracing is used instead of full-wing spars for
better strength and lighter weight. The framework was found to
be appreciably straight.
The Pluma is suitable for 250- to 300-size
outrunner motors. The RimFire samples
tested run on 3S 300 mAh and 3S 640
mAh Li-Poly batteries respectively.
+
• Quick construction with quality
hardware.
• Attractive preprinted trim scheme.
• Keyed and laser-cut parts coupled
with carbon bracing keeps the
Pluma strong and straight.
• Generous wing area and light
weight allow for slow flight.
-
• Lightweight construction makes the
Pluma more susceptible to hangar
rash.
• Landing gear may not hold up on
rough surfaces.
Pluses and Minuses
Photos by the author
Apparently the Pluma has been
engineered by Great Planes to build straight
and remain strong. Indoor aerobatics pilots
should appreciate this attribute the most;
stiffer airframes fly more precisely.
Construction: While building the model,
it becomes evident that a lot of thought
went into its design and ways to keep the
airframe light yet rigid. The keyed and
laser-cut parts as well as a strong focus on
keeping the Pluma straight and true will
reward the builder/pilot with an aircraft
that is crisp and responsive in the air.
One decision the builder must make is
whether to use the indoor or outdoor setup.
Since wintertime is cold here in Indiana, I
went the indoor route.
Taking a quick look through the manual
put a smile on my face; it was short but
had plenty of pictures and text detailing all
the steps leading to completion. Since the
manual does a nice job, I will touch on
only a few things in the build.
Another thing regarding the manual.
Great Planes has printed an addendum for
step 1 on page 7, regarding the aileron link
rods. They should measure 61/8 inches—
not 21/8 inches.
Assembling the pushrods is easy with
the included precut CF pushrods, prebent
Z-bends, and precut heat-shrink tubing.
You can use a heat gun on only one end;
the other is installed on the model before
shrinking.
However, I found that you can
preshrink the tubing slightly before
installation using the heat gun and then use
the iron for final shrinking on the aircraft.
Preshrinking helps keep the Z-bend from
moving while adjusting the linkage. Use a
drop of cyanoacrylate on the end of the
03sig3.QXD 1/26/09 1:07 PM Page 75
76 MODEL AVIATION
Model type: ARF
Skill level: Intermediate builder,
intermediate pilot
Wingspan: 32.5 inches
Wing area: 518 square inches
Length: 38 inches
Weight: 8.4 ounces
Wing loading: 2.3 ounces/square
foot
Recommended power: RimFire
28-22-1380 motor (indoor) or
RimFire 28-26-1000 motor (outdoor)
Radio: Four channels (minimum),
three microservos
Construction: Pro-Formance 3mm
extruded polystyrene foam
Covering/finish: Preprinted twocolor
scheme
Price: $49.99
Specifications
Motor: RimFire 28-22-1380
Battery: 11.1-volt, 300 mAh Li-Poly
Propeller: GWS 0804
Motor current: 7.3 amps
Motor output: 75 watts
Radio system: Futaba 7C FASST
transmitter, Futaba R607FS receiver,
three Futaba S3114 servos, ElectriFly
Silver Series 8-amp ESC
Ready-to-fly weight: 8.4 ounces
Flight duration: Five to six
minutes, depending on throttle usage
Test-Model Details
Great Planes
ElectriFly Yak-54
3D EP ARF
The Yak is for pilots looking to do the one-wing 3-D thing
The ElectriFly Pluma and Yak-54 complement each other. While the Pluma is a
slow-flight expert, the Yak-54 can fly the same maneuvers much faster.
heat shrink to ensure that everything stays
put.
The servos are installed using only
cyanoacrylate to hold them in place. I was
concerned about the possibility of their
coming loose in flight and pondered using
hot glue. Wanting to keep the Pluma as light
It’s nice to get a look at a second
release in a series of aircraft, to see
what changes have been incorporated
into the design or advancements in
materials or components. The Yak 54
follows in the Pluma’s footsteps, with
a focus on making the aircraft rigid
and lightweight with the use of carbon
fiber (CF).
As does the Pluma, the Yak-54
came with much of the work done for
the builder. Great Planes even took the
additional step of completing all but
one of the pushrods for the builder.
Something that stood out when
building the Yak was the 12 fuselagealignment
fixtures provided in the kit.
The fixtures worked well to keep the
Yak straight during construction and
kept my hands free to accurately
assemble the model.
The fixtures overlapped one
another and were glued together with
foam-safe cyanoacrylate. To speed up
the process, I used clothespins to keep
them together. The Yak used carbon
support braces on the center of the
wing and composite support doublers
to add strength where the CF glues into
the foam.
Profile foam aircraft often have
issues with their tail surfaces twisting
in flight. To combat this, Great Planes
braced the fin and stabilizer on all
sides with CF, making it much more
rigid.
The Yak 54 uses convenient onepiece
pushrod guides that went through
the fuselage to support both the rudder
and the elevator pushrods. Each guide
was glued perpendicular to the
The Yak-54 is a 3-D precision highbred
with large control-surface areas and a long
tail moment for smooth aerobatics. Its
roll ability is extremely axial.
fuselage after adjusting to allow the
pushrods to remain straight on their way to
the linkages.
The nose section is another area that can
be weak on profile foam airplanes. The Yak
came with foam reinforcement glued in on
all four sides of the X-mount and felt quite
rigid.
I powered my Yak with the
recommended outdoor power system, which
added a bit of weight to the front of the
airplane. To offset that, I had to move the
battery, ESC, and receiver back from the
recommended locations.
Since only the 300-size motor was
available at the time of this review, I
simulated its potential indoor performance by
substituting the power system with an
ElectriFly 10 x 3.8 propeller and an ElectriFly
two-cell, 300 mAh Li-Poly battery.
I’m not recommending that you try this
at home, but I was dealing with deadlines
and wanted to sample the Yak’s ability as
soon as possible.
03sig3.QXD 1/26/09 1:16 PM Page 76
March 2009 77
A two-cell Li-Poly battery is enough to fly the Yak-54,
but it lacks punch. When using a heavy motor, relocate
the flight battery to the CG point.
Fixtures provided with the Yak-54 ensure that the
airframe is built accurately. Clothespins were used
to save the fixtures for another project.
With a blizzard outdoors, the Yak-54 was
confidently tested in a closed room with
just the two-cell pack. It hovers and
torque rolls like a dream.
Model type: ARF
Skill level: Beginner builder,
intermediate pilot
Wingspan: 32 inches
Wing area: 270 square inches
Length: 36.5 inches
Weight: 5.5-6.7 ounces
Wing loading: 2.9-3.5 ounces/
square foot
Recommended power: RimFire
28-23-1750 motor (indoor) or
RimFire 28-22-1380 motor
(outdoor)
Radio: Four channels (minimum),
three microservos
Construction: Pro-Formance
3mm extruded polystyrene foam
Covering/finish: Preprinted
three-color scheme
Price: $49.99
Specifications
Motor: RimFire 28-22-1380
Battery: 7.4-volt (11.1-volt) 300
mAh Li-Poly
Propeller: 10 x 3.8 (8 x 3.8)
Motor current: 7.6 amps (7.4
amps)
Motor output: 52 watts (66
watts)
Radio system: Futaba 7C
FASST transmitter, Futaba
R616FFH receiver, three Futaba
S3114 servos, ElectriFly Silver
Series 8-amp speed control
Ready-to-fly weight: 7.6 ounces
Flight duration: 3-5 minutes
Test-Model Details
Its first flights were made in a 15 x 20-
foot room. The recommended ElectriFly
setup allowed the Yak-54 to work
flawlessly. Although only hovering was
performed in the closed space, confidence
in the model’s performance was
immediate.
The Yak flies in a slow and stable
manner but is slightly faster than the
Pluma, which has a lower wing loading
and extra drag, thanks to its extra wing
and speed brakes. Shedding a wing allows
the Yak-54 to excel in aerobatics that
require more speed.
The authority with which the Yak
performs aerobatics is impressive and
showstopping. Where the Pluma is a
ballet dancer, the Yak is a head-banging
stage diver (at least the way I mostly flew
it).
The most appreciated feature is the
harmony of the controls. No matter what
flight attitude, airspeed, or intention,
control input is direct, without
compromise, and easily coordinated.
The Yak rolls almost better than a
Goodyear tire on a racecar. I noted no
coupling or differential requirement,
again at any airspeed. Rudder input
suggests a minimal push to the gear, but
I’m not complaining. Harriers and
Waterfalls are an all-day activity. Latitude
in the CG is wide, and the Yak-54 actually
liked a more tail-heavy condition.
The two-cell power setup wasn’t too
satisfying, because my combination lacked
vertical authority (since the motor doesn’t
have a high Kv value). On a three-cell
system, the Yak-54 had thrust to do
anything I pleased. It can be flown with
precision like the Pluma, but it’s more a
complement to the series than it is
competition.
That’s my Yak story, and I’m sticking
to it. MA
—Jay Smith
Manufacturer/Distributor:
Great Planes Model Distributors
Box 9021
Champaign IL 61826
(217) 398-3630
www.electrifly.com
03sig3.QXD 1/26/09 1:16 PM Page 77
March 2009 79
as possible for indoor flying, I decided
against it and am happy to report that the
cyanoacrylate is holding up fine.
I did deviate slightly from the manual;
I waited until the model was complete and
I could check the CG before attaching the
receiver and speed control to the inside of
the fuselage.
There is some room for you to move
the battery. But since I went with the
lighter indoor power system and battery, I
wanted to make sure that my airplane
would not come out tail-heavy. Tape
folded to make a tab on the battery makes
it easier to remove. The fuselage is
narrow, and it can be difficult to remove
the battery; in this case, a bit of Velcro on
the side of the fuselage goes a long way.
I have always found mounting
propellers with a prop saver to be a bit
challenging, but I saw a new way to do it
on RCGroups.com that has turned out to
be quite easy. All you need is a piece of
aluminum or brass tubing that will fit over
the prop saver screw head.
Once you have one side of the O-ring
attached, simply slide the tube between
the propeller and the O-ring and then
rotate the tube up so that it fits over the
screw head. At that point you can slide the
O-ring down onto the screw and remove
the tube.
The Pluma was easily balanced, and I
final-mounted the receiver and speed
control with Velcro. On the scale, the
ready-to-fly weight was 8.4 ounces: light
for a full-fuselage, 518-square-inch
biplane.
With its wing loading at 2.3 ounces per
square foot, this indoor flyer has plenty of
promise. A quick run-up on the watt meter
revealed that the RimFire motor and GWS
0840 propeller could pull 75 watts static at
7.3 amps.
I decided to set the low rates as
described in the manual and left the high
rates at full throw. I programmed 40%
exponential on high rates, since I planned
to fly the model at slow speeds and
wanted to keep it as maneuverable as
possible.
Flying: I took the Pluma to a local club’s
indoor site, and I was excited to maiden it
and get my first taste of flying inside. I
was fortunate to have the assistance of
Brian Butts, who put the first flight on the
model so I could take some of the flying
shots.
Having a Pluma of his own, Brian was
comfortable with it, and it showed in his
flying. Watching him effortlessly put the
biplane through knife-edge flight,
hovering, and a host of other aerobatics
had me eager to take the sticks. Brian
chose to hand-launch and hover-catch the
Pluma, since the floor at the site was
thick, man-made grass.
When it was my turn, I switched out
the battery to try ROG (rise-off-ground)
and see how the landing gear would hold
up in the short grass. The Pluma took off
in approximately 6 feet and was capable
of flying slowly while I took a few laps to
get comfortable with both the model and
flying indoors with several other aircraft.
Going against the warnings in the
manual, I installed the speed brakes right
off, knowing that I would be flying
indoors—and it paid off. I realized during
the flight that I was on high rates, and it
was so comfortable and responsive that I
never looked back.
The Pluma had plenty of power to eat
up the indoor field if need be, but it
seemed happier with slower, graceful
flight. My model was easy to fly in knife
edge and hovered well with power on tap
for a nice punch-out. Rolls required a
bump of down-elevator to keep axial.
Landing was easy, thanks to the low wing
loading. After two flights, a quick check
of the landing gear and servos found
everything still glued solidly in place.
The Pluma proved to be not only
attractive to the eye, but also appealing to
the thumbs. The amount of work already
done for you is refreshing, unless of
course you were looking for a winter
build. The CF reinforcement and the use
of Blenderm tape for the hinges should
stand up to any aggressive maneuvers you
care to put this airplane through.
Having flown the Pluma indoors, the
only limitations were of the venue and not
the aircraft. Thanks to this model, I am
hooked on indoor flying.
If flying outdoors is your plan, Great
Planes offers a more powerful RimFire
28-26-1000 outrunner motor and a Silver
Series 12-amp ESC that requires a 640
mAh 20C three-cell pack. This is where
all that wing area is a benefit again. In
winds up to 10 mph, the model punches
through the turbulent air and becomes an
air-show thriller.
When transporting the biplane, keep in
mind that its lightweight construction does
make it more susceptible to hangar rash. Be
sure to handle with care, and your Pluma
will be ready to fly when you are. MA
Jay Smith
[email protected]
Manufacturer/Distributor:
ElectriFly/Great Planes Model Distributors
Box 9021
Champaign IL 61826
(217) 398-3630
www.electrifly.com
Sources:
Futaba
(217) 398-8970
www.futaba-rc.com
Other Printed Reviews:
Park Pilot: Fall 2008 issue
Hobby Merchandiser: September 2008
issue

DO YOU EVER wonder where
manufacturers get the names they use for
their RC aircraft? “Pluma” is the Latin word
for “feather.”
This model does fly like a feather, but it
looks like an avalanche, with its attractive
blue-and-white graphics. Another of this
ARF’s attractive features is the full fuselage
that hides all the gear inside, for a much
more streamlined and cleaner look.
The Pluma comes out of the box with
much of the work already done and has
some nice features, such as a prebuilt
fuselage, prehinged control surfaces with
Blenderm tape, and landing gear that is
already assembled. All of its Pro-Formancefoam
parts are assembled using foam-safe
cyanoacrylate and accelerator.
This model comes with a great deal of
carbon fiber (CF), to keep it light and strong.
Not only is CF used for all the pushrods, but
it is also used for the landing gear and wing
braces.
The carbon braces support the wings by
crisscrossing between them when inserted
into their precut openings in the fuselage
and wings. Great Planes even took the extra
step of reinforcing the wingtips, which can
have a tendency to eventually bow when not
reinforced.
One of the things I admired about the
Pluma’s construction was the quality of the
foam material; it was not only smooth and
bright, but it was also flat. So many such
airplanes’ foam parts have a bit of a curl to
them.
March 2009 75
Slight rudder is needed to carry a high-alpha knife-edge pass. No
other controls are held in to provide a slow pass at a constant
heading.
A little rudder touch in a closed flight area is a fun challenge.
Roughly 50% exponential is used to tame the flight controls
around center stick.
The full-body fuselage is provided as a complete assembly. Even
the landing-gear legs are finished with the wheel pants installed.
Carbon-fiber crossbracing is used instead of full-wing spars for
better strength and lighter weight. The framework was found to
be appreciably straight.
The Pluma is suitable for 250- to 300-size
outrunner motors. The RimFire samples
tested run on 3S 300 mAh and 3S 640
mAh Li-Poly batteries respectively.
+
• Quick construction with quality
hardware.
• Attractive preprinted trim scheme.
• Keyed and laser-cut parts coupled
with carbon bracing keeps the
Pluma strong and straight.
• Generous wing area and light
weight allow for slow flight.
-
• Lightweight construction makes the
Pluma more susceptible to hangar
rash.
• Landing gear may not hold up on
rough surfaces.
Pluses and Minuses
Photos by the author
Apparently the Pluma has been
engineered by Great Planes to build straight
and remain strong. Indoor aerobatics pilots
should appreciate this attribute the most;
stiffer airframes fly more precisely.
Construction: While building the model,
it becomes evident that a lot of thought
went into its design and ways to keep the
airframe light yet rigid. The keyed and
laser-cut parts as well as a strong focus on
keeping the Pluma straight and true will
reward the builder/pilot with an aircraft
that is crisp and responsive in the air.
One decision the builder must make is
whether to use the indoor or outdoor setup.
Since wintertime is cold here in Indiana, I
went the indoor route.
Taking a quick look through the manual
put a smile on my face; it was short but
had plenty of pictures and text detailing all
the steps leading to completion. Since the
manual does a nice job, I will touch on
only a few things in the build.
Another thing regarding the manual.
Great Planes has printed an addendum for
step 1 on page 7, regarding the aileron link
rods. They should measure 61/8 inches—
not 21/8 inches.
Assembling the pushrods is easy with
the included precut CF pushrods, prebent
Z-bends, and precut heat-shrink tubing.
You can use a heat gun on only one end;
the other is installed on the model before
shrinking.
However, I found that you can
preshrink the tubing slightly before
installation using the heat gun and then use
the iron for final shrinking on the aircraft.
Preshrinking helps keep the Z-bend from
moving while adjusting the linkage. Use a
drop of cyanoacrylate on the end of the
03sig3.QXD 1/26/09 1:07 PM Page 75
76 MODEL AVIATION
Model type: ARF
Skill level: Intermediate builder,
intermediate pilot
Wingspan: 32.5 inches
Wing area: 518 square inches
Length: 38 inches
Weight: 8.4 ounces
Wing loading: 2.3 ounces/square
foot
Recommended power: RimFire
28-22-1380 motor (indoor) or
RimFire 28-26-1000 motor (outdoor)
Radio: Four channels (minimum),
three microservos
Construction: Pro-Formance 3mm
extruded polystyrene foam
Covering/finish: Preprinted twocolor
scheme
Price: $49.99
Specifications
Motor: RimFire 28-22-1380
Battery: 11.1-volt, 300 mAh Li-Poly
Propeller: GWS 0804
Motor current: 7.3 amps
Motor output: 75 watts
Radio system: Futaba 7C FASST
transmitter, Futaba R607FS receiver,
three Futaba S3114 servos, ElectriFly
Silver Series 8-amp ESC
Ready-to-fly weight: 8.4 ounces
Flight duration: Five to six
minutes, depending on throttle usage
Test-Model Details
Great Planes
ElectriFly Yak-54
3D EP ARF
The Yak is for pilots looking to do the one-wing 3-D thing
The ElectriFly Pluma and Yak-54 complement each other. While the Pluma is a
slow-flight expert, the Yak-54 can fly the same maneuvers much faster.
heat shrink to ensure that everything stays
put.
The servos are installed using only
cyanoacrylate to hold them in place. I was
concerned about the possibility of their
coming loose in flight and pondered using
hot glue. Wanting to keep the Pluma as light
It’s nice to get a look at a second
release in a series of aircraft, to see
what changes have been incorporated
into the design or advancements in
materials or components. The Yak 54
follows in the Pluma’s footsteps, with
a focus on making the aircraft rigid
and lightweight with the use of carbon
fiber (CF).
As does the Pluma, the Yak-54
came with much of the work done for
the builder. Great Planes even took the
additional step of completing all but
one of the pushrods for the builder.
Something that stood out when
building the Yak was the 12 fuselagealignment
fixtures provided in the kit.
The fixtures worked well to keep the
Yak straight during construction and
kept my hands free to accurately
assemble the model.
The fixtures overlapped one
another and were glued together with
foam-safe cyanoacrylate. To speed up
the process, I used clothespins to keep
them together. The Yak used carbon
support braces on the center of the
wing and composite support doublers
to add strength where the CF glues into
the foam.
Profile foam aircraft often have
issues with their tail surfaces twisting
in flight. To combat this, Great Planes
braced the fin and stabilizer on all
sides with CF, making it much more
rigid.
The Yak 54 uses convenient onepiece
pushrod guides that went through
the fuselage to support both the rudder
and the elevator pushrods. Each guide
was glued perpendicular to the
The Yak-54 is a 3-D precision highbred
with large control-surface areas and a long
tail moment for smooth aerobatics. Its
roll ability is extremely axial.
fuselage after adjusting to allow the
pushrods to remain straight on their way to
the linkages.
The nose section is another area that can
be weak on profile foam airplanes. The Yak
came with foam reinforcement glued in on
all four sides of the X-mount and felt quite
rigid.
I powered my Yak with the
recommended outdoor power system, which
added a bit of weight to the front of the
airplane. To offset that, I had to move the
battery, ESC, and receiver back from the
recommended locations.
Since only the 300-size motor was
available at the time of this review, I
simulated its potential indoor performance by
substituting the power system with an
ElectriFly 10 x 3.8 propeller and an ElectriFly
two-cell, 300 mAh Li-Poly battery.
I’m not recommending that you try this
at home, but I was dealing with deadlines
and wanted to sample the Yak’s ability as
soon as possible.
03sig3.QXD 1/26/09 1:16 PM Page 76
March 2009 77
A two-cell Li-Poly battery is enough to fly the Yak-54,
but it lacks punch. When using a heavy motor, relocate
the flight battery to the CG point.
Fixtures provided with the Yak-54 ensure that the
airframe is built accurately. Clothespins were used
to save the fixtures for another project.
With a blizzard outdoors, the Yak-54 was
confidently tested in a closed room with
just the two-cell pack. It hovers and
torque rolls like a dream.
Model type: ARF
Skill level: Beginner builder,
intermediate pilot
Wingspan: 32 inches
Wing area: 270 square inches
Length: 36.5 inches
Weight: 5.5-6.7 ounces
Wing loading: 2.9-3.5 ounces/
square foot
Recommended power: RimFire
28-23-1750 motor (indoor) or
RimFire 28-22-1380 motor
(outdoor)
Radio: Four channels (minimum),
three microservos
Construction: Pro-Formance
3mm extruded polystyrene foam
Covering/finish: Preprinted
three-color scheme
Price: $49.99
Specifications
Motor: RimFire 28-22-1380
Battery: 7.4-volt (11.1-volt) 300
mAh Li-Poly
Propeller: 10 x 3.8 (8 x 3.8)
Motor current: 7.6 amps (7.4
amps)
Motor output: 52 watts (66
watts)
Radio system: Futaba 7C
FASST transmitter, Futaba
R616FFH receiver, three Futaba
S3114 servos, ElectriFly Silver
Series 8-amp speed control
Ready-to-fly weight: 7.6 ounces
Flight duration: 3-5 minutes
Test-Model Details
Its first flights were made in a 15 x 20-
foot room. The recommended ElectriFly
setup allowed the Yak-54 to work
flawlessly. Although only hovering was
performed in the closed space, confidence
in the model’s performance was
immediate.
The Yak flies in a slow and stable
manner but is slightly faster than the
Pluma, which has a lower wing loading
and extra drag, thanks to its extra wing
and speed brakes. Shedding a wing allows
the Yak-54 to excel in aerobatics that
require more speed.
The authority with which the Yak
performs aerobatics is impressive and
showstopping. Where the Pluma is a
ballet dancer, the Yak is a head-banging
stage diver (at least the way I mostly flew
it).
The most appreciated feature is the
harmony of the controls. No matter what
flight attitude, airspeed, or intention,
control input is direct, without
compromise, and easily coordinated.
The Yak rolls almost better than a
Goodyear tire on a racecar. I noted no
coupling or differential requirement,
again at any airspeed. Rudder input
suggests a minimal push to the gear, but
I’m not complaining. Harriers and
Waterfalls are an all-day activity. Latitude
in the CG is wide, and the Yak-54 actually
liked a more tail-heavy condition.
The two-cell power setup wasn’t too
satisfying, because my combination lacked
vertical authority (since the motor doesn’t
have a high Kv value). On a three-cell
system, the Yak-54 had thrust to do
anything I pleased. It can be flown with
precision like the Pluma, but it’s more a
complement to the series than it is
competition.
That’s my Yak story, and I’m sticking
to it. MA
—Jay Smith
Manufacturer/Distributor:
Great Planes Model Distributors
Box 9021
Champaign IL 61826
(217) 398-3630
www.electrifly.com
03sig3.QXD 1/26/09 1:16 PM Page 77
March 2009 79
as possible for indoor flying, I decided
against it and am happy to report that the
cyanoacrylate is holding up fine.
I did deviate slightly from the manual;
I waited until the model was complete and
I could check the CG before attaching the
receiver and speed control to the inside of
the fuselage.
There is some room for you to move
the battery. But since I went with the
lighter indoor power system and battery, I
wanted to make sure that my airplane
would not come out tail-heavy. Tape
folded to make a tab on the battery makes
it easier to remove. The fuselage is
narrow, and it can be difficult to remove
the battery; in this case, a bit of Velcro on
the side of the fuselage goes a long way.
I have always found mounting
propellers with a prop saver to be a bit
challenging, but I saw a new way to do it
on RCGroups.com that has turned out to
be quite easy. All you need is a piece of
aluminum or brass tubing that will fit over
the prop saver screw head.
Once you have one side of the O-ring
attached, simply slide the tube between
the propeller and the O-ring and then
rotate the tube up so that it fits over the
screw head. At that point you can slide the
O-ring down onto the screw and remove
the tube.
The Pluma was easily balanced, and I
final-mounted the receiver and speed
control with Velcro. On the scale, the
ready-to-fly weight was 8.4 ounces: light
for a full-fuselage, 518-square-inch
biplane.
With its wing loading at 2.3 ounces per
square foot, this indoor flyer has plenty of
promise. A quick run-up on the watt meter
revealed that the RimFire motor and GWS
0840 propeller could pull 75 watts static at
7.3 amps.
I decided to set the low rates as
described in the manual and left the high
rates at full throw. I programmed 40%
exponential on high rates, since I planned
to fly the model at slow speeds and
wanted to keep it as maneuverable as
possible.
Flying: I took the Pluma to a local club’s
indoor site, and I was excited to maiden it
and get my first taste of flying inside. I
was fortunate to have the assistance of
Brian Butts, who put the first flight on the
model so I could take some of the flying
shots.
Having a Pluma of his own, Brian was
comfortable with it, and it showed in his
flying. Watching him effortlessly put the
biplane through knife-edge flight,
hovering, and a host of other aerobatics
had me eager to take the sticks. Brian
chose to hand-launch and hover-catch the
Pluma, since the floor at the site was
thick, man-made grass.
When it was my turn, I switched out
the battery to try ROG (rise-off-ground)
and see how the landing gear would hold
up in the short grass. The Pluma took off
in approximately 6 feet and was capable
of flying slowly while I took a few laps to
get comfortable with both the model and
flying indoors with several other aircraft.
Going against the warnings in the
manual, I installed the speed brakes right
off, knowing that I would be flying
indoors—and it paid off. I realized during
the flight that I was on high rates, and it
was so comfortable and responsive that I
never looked back.
The Pluma had plenty of power to eat
up the indoor field if need be, but it
seemed happier with slower, graceful
flight. My model was easy to fly in knife
edge and hovered well with power on tap
for a nice punch-out. Rolls required a
bump of down-elevator to keep axial.
Landing was easy, thanks to the low wing
loading. After two flights, a quick check
of the landing gear and servos found
everything still glued solidly in place.
The Pluma proved to be not only
attractive to the eye, but also appealing to
the thumbs. The amount of work already
done for you is refreshing, unless of
course you were looking for a winter
build. The CF reinforcement and the use
of Blenderm tape for the hinges should
stand up to any aggressive maneuvers you
care to put this airplane through.
Having flown the Pluma indoors, the
only limitations were of the venue and not
the aircraft. Thanks to this model, I am
hooked on indoor flying.
If flying outdoors is your plan, Great
Planes offers a more powerful RimFire
28-26-1000 outrunner motor and a Silver
Series 12-amp ESC that requires a 640
mAh 20C three-cell pack. This is where
all that wing area is a benefit again. In
winds up to 10 mph, the model punches
through the turbulent air and becomes an
air-show thriller.
When transporting the biplane, keep in
mind that its lightweight construction does
make it more susceptible to hangar rash. Be
sure to handle with care, and your Pluma
will be ready to fly when you are. MA
Jay Smith
[email protected]
Manufacturer/Distributor:
ElectriFly/Great Planes Model Distributors
Box 9021
Champaign IL 61826
(217) 398-3630
www.electrifly.com
Sources:
Futaba
(217) 398-8970
www.futaba-rc.com
Other Printed Reviews:
Park Pilot: Fall 2008 issue
Hobby Merchandiser: September 2008
issue