The Lancair is not an
airplane to fly in your
subdivision. It is fast and
requires ample room, so fly
it in an appropriate open
area—preferably at an
AMA sanctioned flying field
THE GREAT PLANES Lancair ES EP kit surprised me with its
quality, fit, finish, and with the completeness of the included
materials and accessories. The kit box contained a beautifully
molded and finished fiberglass fuselage that required no additional
cutting, grinding, painting, or trimming. All necessary holes, vents,
etc. were already made. I also found a neat prefitted cowl, canopy,
and wheel pants.
I encountered an example of the completeness of the
prefabrication when I was trying to see how good the canopy-tofuselage
fit was. As I neared the mating location, the canopy literally
jumped into place. I was surprised, and then after a closer look I
found that the canopy-attach magnets were preinstalled. It was a nice
touch.
Just when I was thinking to myself that this was a lot of airplane
for the price, I found an ESC and flight battery in the box. I thought
perhaps Great Planes had put them in there for this review. (Of
course I hadn’t read the instruction manual yet.)
I was wrong. The ESC and battery were included in the kit price.
Imagine a beautiful airplane with quality construction, ESC, and
flight battery for just $99.99—a good buy. Great Planes produced an
extremely complete kit with quality components and offered it at a
great price.
I don’t want this to sound like a sales ad, but this is a good value.
I am impressed with this offering, and I like the feeling of getting
many quality airplane “goodies” for my money.
The Lancair has appealing lines, which coincidently produce an
aerodynamically clean airplane. Everything including the wheel
pants and tip shapes that were designed for the original full-scale
airplane to improve its flight performance was nicely duplicated on
the model.
Assembly and Concerns: Since this is a low-wing, aileroncontrolled
airplane, it should not be flown by someone without a
reasonable amount of flying experience. You should be comfortable
flying an airplane that is “hotter” than a high-wing, aileroncontrolled
trainer. The Lancair is stable and controllable but will go
wherever you command it to go; confidence in your abilities is a
must.
You probably have a fair amount of experience in assembling
this type of model by now. The straightforward assembly can be
accomplished in one day with no hassle—that’s including the time
spent looking over the fine quality of the kit.
I recommend that you read through the manual before
assembling the Lancair. It is well written and thought out, and there
are no tricky assembly efforts involved. The latest updated version
of the manual can be found on the Web site, and you should get a
copy of it to make sure your experience is a good one.
Some modelers have apparently had trouble keeping the canopy
in place in high-speed flight, but I have had no problems with the
basic kit propulsion system or with my later upgrade to an AXI 2808
motor.
The model is exceptionally fast with the AXI, and so far the
canopy has stayed attached with no problems. This is a good thing
since my flying field has most of its flight space over a cornfield and
finding a lost canopy would be challenging at best.
I doubt that the Lancair could take off from a grass field unless
the grass was clipped very short. In one landing I missed the runway
a bit and landed in the grass to the side
of it. The airplane rapidly
decelerated and came
to a stop in just a
few feet,
indicating that
the “grass
drag” is
substantial.
I haven’t
had any
problems with
the landing gear as
long as I land on a
runway. In support of its
design, we shouldn’t wonder why some
landing-gear bending might occur when
landing on grass that would scale up to
cornstalk size with the full-scale Lancair.
To date I haven’t tried to hand launch the
Lancair. Aside from the fact that I can’t
generate the required flight speed with my
running launch technique anymore (my
The smoothness of
control response
and stability at
slow speeds will
give the RC pilot
confidence. Lowwing
type flying
experience is
recommended.
March 2007 71
technique is not a pleasant thing to watch),
the smooth lines of the fuselage and the low
wing make it awkward to try to hold the
model in a launching position. At least there
is no glow-fuel slime to make holding the
airplane harder.
Flying: The Lancair’s first flight was nice
and uneventful. Because little control
movement was needed to make maneuvers
smooth, I suggest dialing in exponential on
the aileron and elevator. Do check the
direction of the controls before each flight,
especially if you have a transmitter that is
capable of handling multiple airplanes.
When using the standard power system
you should allow close to 50 feet of smooth
ground or runway for takeoff. My Lancair
ran straight along the runway, and the nosewheel
steering sensitivity was about right.
When I judged that adequate flight speed
had been reached, I slowly fed in upelevator.
The Lancair lifted off smoothly
and flew smoothly with a bit of trim
adjustment. (And I did check the zero setting
of the control surfaces before flight, as the
manual instructed.)
The recommended CG location seemed
to be good, and you should make sure you
are quite comfortable with the airplane’s
flight characteristics before deviating from
the CG location. (Make sure you check the
CG before flying the airplane!)
After reaching a suitable altitude, I tried
rolls and loops and examined the low-speed
flight envelope. Level flight was good, but
maneuvers that required more energy than
level flight were difficult. The Lancair
wouldn’t loop from level flight, and it
required a dive to get sufficient energy
needed for a loop and a good, straight roll.
The Lancair’s stall characteristics are
similar to those of any airplane of this type;
that is, it will stall and drop a wingtip if the
airspeed gets too low. There isn’t enough
available power to power out of a stall
condition, so a stall that is performed
accidentally at too low of an altitude might
be the last one.
Consequently I recommend that you try
the stalls at a high altitude on purpose. This
allows you to get a feel for the airspeed you
will need to maintain during landing and the
altitude you will need for recovery and
pullout. The stall is nothing to be afraid of,
but because of the Lancair’s size you need to
get your visual system calibrated before
landing!
Landing was a nonevent; I just let the
airplane settle at a speed above the stall and
gave a little up-elevator to flare it just before
touchdown. The Lancair does land relatively
fast compared to a light foam trainer;
however, it is comfortable and predictable at
the landing speed.
The airplane flies in a scalelike manner
with the supplied power system; however, I
seem to have watched too many episodes of
“Home Improvement”; give me more
The Lancair kit
box contains
some of the
nicest parts you
will ever find at
this price. The
battery pack
and ESC are
included, along
with all the
h i g h - q u a l i t y
hardware.
Motor: As provided
Battery: As provided
Propeller: 9 x 6 slow flyer type
Motor current: 8.8 amps (10-amp limit)
Power output: 85 watts at 9.6 volts,
5,900 rpm
Radio system: Futaba 8U transmitter,
Futaba receiver, four Hitec HS-55
servos, short Y harness, 9-inch
extension
Ready-to-fly weight: 31 ounces
Flight duration: Exceeds six minutes
Test-Model Details
Type: Sport Scale ARF
Pilot skill level: Intermediate
Wingspan: 43 inches
Wing area: 236.5 square inches
Length: 31 inches
Weight: 26-32 ounces
Wing loading: 15.8-19.4 ounces/square
foot
Motor (included): Speed 400 with 3:1
gearbox
Speed control: 30 amps (included)
Power: 9.6-volt, 1800 mAh battery
(included)
Radio: Four-channel transmitter and
receiver, four miniservos for aileron,
elevator, rudder
Construction: Molded fiberglass
fuselage, cowl, wheel pants; built-up
balsa wing; solid-balsa tail surfaces;
thick molded-plastic canopy
Covering/finish: Plastic film covering;
high-gloss, two-color paint on molded
parts
Price: $99.99 street
Specifications
+•
Good flying characteristics with smooth,
harmonized control responses.
• Easy assembly with a good instruction
manual.
• Excellent prepainted and trimmed
molded parts that fit.
• Vent holes precut in fuselage. -•
Included Speed 400 motor is adequate
for scalelike flight, but I believe most
modelers would prefer a step up in
power.
Pluses and Minuses
Photos by the author
The wing’s conventional balsa structure is shown in this overhead pass as
the Lancair is set up for landing. The wing panels are removable for
transportation, but the model is small enough to put in the car’s backseat.
Right: Through the interior of the
fiberglass fuselage it’s easy to see the
predrilled holes for wing spars and
control-system wire. The canopy
magnets are hiding under the bumps
at the canopy edging line.
Far right: All cooling vents and
cutouts for the nose landing gear are
precut. The motor is delivered
mounted as shown. Notice the neat
pinstriping and color lines—typical of
the high prefabrication level.
Right: The pushrods are of a large
cross-section for strength and assure
zero flex. The battery location can
hold a large number of battery sizes
and is convenient for quick removal.
power! Feeling that many fliers would like
more power in the airplane and having had
success with the AXI 2808 in the Goldberg
Tiger 400 conversion, I decided to use the
AXI 2808 in this Lancair ES.
I used the recommended Jeti 30-amp
ESC and a Thunder Power 2100 mAh threecell
Li-Poly battery. I do believe that most
modelers who are capable of flying the
Lancair would have enough experience to
make the conversion on their own. This
review isn’t about the conversion so I won’t
go into details, but I thought you would be
interested in the results.
The AXI-powered Lancair is an
incredible airplane. Its first flight resulted in
a takeoff that broke ground in approximately
10 feet, and it appeared to climb straight up.
Level-flight speed was delightfully fast.
Huge loops and long, smooth rolls were
easy to perform, as were all looping and
rolling maneuvers. The increase in power
results in an airplane that is capable of
almost anything and with a total weight of
less than with the original power system.
The airframe has been fully capable of
handling the power involved. Even at half
power the Lancair is delightful to fly.
One problem has arisen, though. You
have to be careful when swatting flies and
other little biting things not to take your eyes
off the model; it will disappear from sight in
just a few seconds!
The Lancair ES in the original kit form
with the supplied propulsion is a great scale
airplane. The kit fit and finish is great, and
the assembly will take little time.
Be sure to visit the Great Planes Web site
for important updates and
addendums to the instruction
manual. There’s also a great video
to download of the model in flight.
Having all the propulsion gear
included is a plus—especially when
you consider the low price. You
will produce a scale-flying airplane
with good flight characteristics that
looks terrific in the air.
The Lancair is capable of
substantially more performance
than the stock configuration provides. An
increase in the motor power available to the
airplane will delight even the most jaded
modelers. I can easily recommend the Great
Planes Lancair ES to the reader. MA
Manufacturer/Distributor:
Great Planes Model Distributors
Box 9021
Champaign IL 61826
(217) 398-3630
www.greatplanes.com
Products Used in Review:
Futaba 8U Super Series radio system:
Great Planes Model Distributors
www.futaba-rc.com
HS-55 servos:
Hitec RCD
12115 Paine St.
Poway CA 92064
(858) 748-6948
www.hitecrcd.com
Other Printed References:
Quiet Flyer
October 2004 issue, Volume 09-10
RCGroups.com
www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php
?t=524500
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/03
Page Numbers: 70,71,72
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/03
Page Numbers: 70,71,72
The Lancair is not an
airplane to fly in your
subdivision. It is fast and
requires ample room, so fly
it in an appropriate open
area—preferably at an
AMA sanctioned flying field
THE GREAT PLANES Lancair ES EP kit surprised me with its
quality, fit, finish, and with the completeness of the included
materials and accessories. The kit box contained a beautifully
molded and finished fiberglass fuselage that required no additional
cutting, grinding, painting, or trimming. All necessary holes, vents,
etc. were already made. I also found a neat prefitted cowl, canopy,
and wheel pants.
I encountered an example of the completeness of the
prefabrication when I was trying to see how good the canopy-tofuselage
fit was. As I neared the mating location, the canopy literally
jumped into place. I was surprised, and then after a closer look I
found that the canopy-attach magnets were preinstalled. It was a nice
touch.
Just when I was thinking to myself that this was a lot of airplane
for the price, I found an ESC and flight battery in the box. I thought
perhaps Great Planes had put them in there for this review. (Of
course I hadn’t read the instruction manual yet.)
I was wrong. The ESC and battery were included in the kit price.
Imagine a beautiful airplane with quality construction, ESC, and
flight battery for just $99.99—a good buy. Great Planes produced an
extremely complete kit with quality components and offered it at a
great price.
I don’t want this to sound like a sales ad, but this is a good value.
I am impressed with this offering, and I like the feeling of getting
many quality airplane “goodies” for my money.
The Lancair has appealing lines, which coincidently produce an
aerodynamically clean airplane. Everything including the wheel
pants and tip shapes that were designed for the original full-scale
airplane to improve its flight performance was nicely duplicated on
the model.
Assembly and Concerns: Since this is a low-wing, aileroncontrolled
airplane, it should not be flown by someone without a
reasonable amount of flying experience. You should be comfortable
flying an airplane that is “hotter” than a high-wing, aileroncontrolled
trainer. The Lancair is stable and controllable but will go
wherever you command it to go; confidence in your abilities is a
must.
You probably have a fair amount of experience in assembling
this type of model by now. The straightforward assembly can be
accomplished in one day with no hassle—that’s including the time
spent looking over the fine quality of the kit.
I recommend that you read through the manual before
assembling the Lancair. It is well written and thought out, and there
are no tricky assembly efforts involved. The latest updated version
of the manual can be found on the Web site, and you should get a
copy of it to make sure your experience is a good one.
Some modelers have apparently had trouble keeping the canopy
in place in high-speed flight, but I have had no problems with the
basic kit propulsion system or with my later upgrade to an AXI 2808
motor.
The model is exceptionally fast with the AXI, and so far the
canopy has stayed attached with no problems. This is a good thing
since my flying field has most of its flight space over a cornfield and
finding a lost canopy would be challenging at best.
I doubt that the Lancair could take off from a grass field unless
the grass was clipped very short. In one landing I missed the runway
a bit and landed in the grass to the side
of it. The airplane rapidly
decelerated and came
to a stop in just a
few feet,
indicating that
the “grass
drag” is
substantial.
I haven’t
had any
problems with
the landing gear as
long as I land on a
runway. In support of its
design, we shouldn’t wonder why some
landing-gear bending might occur when
landing on grass that would scale up to
cornstalk size with the full-scale Lancair.
To date I haven’t tried to hand launch the
Lancair. Aside from the fact that I can’t
generate the required flight speed with my
running launch technique anymore (my
The smoothness of
control response
and stability at
slow speeds will
give the RC pilot
confidence. Lowwing
type flying
experience is
recommended.
March 2007 71
technique is not a pleasant thing to watch),
the smooth lines of the fuselage and the low
wing make it awkward to try to hold the
model in a launching position. At least there
is no glow-fuel slime to make holding the
airplane harder.
Flying: The Lancair’s first flight was nice
and uneventful. Because little control
movement was needed to make maneuvers
smooth, I suggest dialing in exponential on
the aileron and elevator. Do check the
direction of the controls before each flight,
especially if you have a transmitter that is
capable of handling multiple airplanes.
When using the standard power system
you should allow close to 50 feet of smooth
ground or runway for takeoff. My Lancair
ran straight along the runway, and the nosewheel
steering sensitivity was about right.
When I judged that adequate flight speed
had been reached, I slowly fed in upelevator.
The Lancair lifted off smoothly
and flew smoothly with a bit of trim
adjustment. (And I did check the zero setting
of the control surfaces before flight, as the
manual instructed.)
The recommended CG location seemed
to be good, and you should make sure you
are quite comfortable with the airplane’s
flight characteristics before deviating from
the CG location. (Make sure you check the
CG before flying the airplane!)
After reaching a suitable altitude, I tried
rolls and loops and examined the low-speed
flight envelope. Level flight was good, but
maneuvers that required more energy than
level flight were difficult. The Lancair
wouldn’t loop from level flight, and it
required a dive to get sufficient energy
needed for a loop and a good, straight roll.
The Lancair’s stall characteristics are
similar to those of any airplane of this type;
that is, it will stall and drop a wingtip if the
airspeed gets too low. There isn’t enough
available power to power out of a stall
condition, so a stall that is performed
accidentally at too low of an altitude might
be the last one.
Consequently I recommend that you try
the stalls at a high altitude on purpose. This
allows you to get a feel for the airspeed you
will need to maintain during landing and the
altitude you will need for recovery and
pullout. The stall is nothing to be afraid of,
but because of the Lancair’s size you need to
get your visual system calibrated before
landing!
Landing was a nonevent; I just let the
airplane settle at a speed above the stall and
gave a little up-elevator to flare it just before
touchdown. The Lancair does land relatively
fast compared to a light foam trainer;
however, it is comfortable and predictable at
the landing speed.
The airplane flies in a scalelike manner
with the supplied power system; however, I
seem to have watched too many episodes of
“Home Improvement”; give me more
The Lancair kit
box contains
some of the
nicest parts you
will ever find at
this price. The
battery pack
and ESC are
included, along
with all the
h i g h - q u a l i t y
hardware.
Motor: As provided
Battery: As provided
Propeller: 9 x 6 slow flyer type
Motor current: 8.8 amps (10-amp limit)
Power output: 85 watts at 9.6 volts,
5,900 rpm
Radio system: Futaba 8U transmitter,
Futaba receiver, four Hitec HS-55
servos, short Y harness, 9-inch
extension
Ready-to-fly weight: 31 ounces
Flight duration: Exceeds six minutes
Test-Model Details
Type: Sport Scale ARF
Pilot skill level: Intermediate
Wingspan: 43 inches
Wing area: 236.5 square inches
Length: 31 inches
Weight: 26-32 ounces
Wing loading: 15.8-19.4 ounces/square
foot
Motor (included): Speed 400 with 3:1
gearbox
Speed control: 30 amps (included)
Power: 9.6-volt, 1800 mAh battery
(included)
Radio: Four-channel transmitter and
receiver, four miniservos for aileron,
elevator, rudder
Construction: Molded fiberglass
fuselage, cowl, wheel pants; built-up
balsa wing; solid-balsa tail surfaces;
thick molded-plastic canopy
Covering/finish: Plastic film covering;
high-gloss, two-color paint on molded
parts
Price: $99.99 street
Specifications
+•
Good flying characteristics with smooth,
harmonized control responses.
• Easy assembly with a good instruction
manual.
• Excellent prepainted and trimmed
molded parts that fit.
• Vent holes precut in fuselage. -•
Included Speed 400 motor is adequate
for scalelike flight, but I believe most
modelers would prefer a step up in
power.
Pluses and Minuses
Photos by the author
The wing’s conventional balsa structure is shown in this overhead pass as
the Lancair is set up for landing. The wing panels are removable for
transportation, but the model is small enough to put in the car’s backseat.
Right: Through the interior of the
fiberglass fuselage it’s easy to see the
predrilled holes for wing spars and
control-system wire. The canopy
magnets are hiding under the bumps
at the canopy edging line.
Far right: All cooling vents and
cutouts for the nose landing gear are
precut. The motor is delivered
mounted as shown. Notice the neat
pinstriping and color lines—typical of
the high prefabrication level.
Right: The pushrods are of a large
cross-section for strength and assure
zero flex. The battery location can
hold a large number of battery sizes
and is convenient for quick removal.
power! Feeling that many fliers would like
more power in the airplane and having had
success with the AXI 2808 in the Goldberg
Tiger 400 conversion, I decided to use the
AXI 2808 in this Lancair ES.
I used the recommended Jeti 30-amp
ESC and a Thunder Power 2100 mAh threecell
Li-Poly battery. I do believe that most
modelers who are capable of flying the
Lancair would have enough experience to
make the conversion on their own. This
review isn’t about the conversion so I won’t
go into details, but I thought you would be
interested in the results.
The AXI-powered Lancair is an
incredible airplane. Its first flight resulted in
a takeoff that broke ground in approximately
10 feet, and it appeared to climb straight up.
Level-flight speed was delightfully fast.
Huge loops and long, smooth rolls were
easy to perform, as were all looping and
rolling maneuvers. The increase in power
results in an airplane that is capable of
almost anything and with a total weight of
less than with the original power system.
The airframe has been fully capable of
handling the power involved. Even at half
power the Lancair is delightful to fly.
One problem has arisen, though. You
have to be careful when swatting flies and
other little biting things not to take your eyes
off the model; it will disappear from sight in
just a few seconds!
The Lancair ES in the original kit form
with the supplied propulsion is a great scale
airplane. The kit fit and finish is great, and
the assembly will take little time.
Be sure to visit the Great Planes Web site
for important updates and
addendums to the instruction
manual. There’s also a great video
to download of the model in flight.
Having all the propulsion gear
included is a plus—especially when
you consider the low price. You
will produce a scale-flying airplane
with good flight characteristics that
looks terrific in the air.
The Lancair is capable of
substantially more performance
than the stock configuration provides. An
increase in the motor power available to the
airplane will delight even the most jaded
modelers. I can easily recommend the Great
Planes Lancair ES to the reader. MA
Manufacturer/Distributor:
Great Planes Model Distributors
Box 9021
Champaign IL 61826
(217) 398-3630
www.greatplanes.com
Products Used in Review:
Futaba 8U Super Series radio system:
Great Planes Model Distributors
www.futaba-rc.com
HS-55 servos:
Hitec RCD
12115 Paine St.
Poway CA 92064
(858) 748-6948
www.hitecrcd.com
Other Printed References:
Quiet Flyer
October 2004 issue, Volume 09-10
RCGroups.com
www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php
?t=524500
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/03
Page Numbers: 70,71,72
The Lancair is not an
airplane to fly in your
subdivision. It is fast and
requires ample room, so fly
it in an appropriate open
area—preferably at an
AMA sanctioned flying field
THE GREAT PLANES Lancair ES EP kit surprised me with its
quality, fit, finish, and with the completeness of the included
materials and accessories. The kit box contained a beautifully
molded and finished fiberglass fuselage that required no additional
cutting, grinding, painting, or trimming. All necessary holes, vents,
etc. were already made. I also found a neat prefitted cowl, canopy,
and wheel pants.
I encountered an example of the completeness of the
prefabrication when I was trying to see how good the canopy-tofuselage
fit was. As I neared the mating location, the canopy literally
jumped into place. I was surprised, and then after a closer look I
found that the canopy-attach magnets were preinstalled. It was a nice
touch.
Just when I was thinking to myself that this was a lot of airplane
for the price, I found an ESC and flight battery in the box. I thought
perhaps Great Planes had put them in there for this review. (Of
course I hadn’t read the instruction manual yet.)
I was wrong. The ESC and battery were included in the kit price.
Imagine a beautiful airplane with quality construction, ESC, and
flight battery for just $99.99—a good buy. Great Planes produced an
extremely complete kit with quality components and offered it at a
great price.
I don’t want this to sound like a sales ad, but this is a good value.
I am impressed with this offering, and I like the feeling of getting
many quality airplane “goodies” for my money.
The Lancair has appealing lines, which coincidently produce an
aerodynamically clean airplane. Everything including the wheel
pants and tip shapes that were designed for the original full-scale
airplane to improve its flight performance was nicely duplicated on
the model.
Assembly and Concerns: Since this is a low-wing, aileroncontrolled
airplane, it should not be flown by someone without a
reasonable amount of flying experience. You should be comfortable
flying an airplane that is “hotter” than a high-wing, aileroncontrolled
trainer. The Lancair is stable and controllable but will go
wherever you command it to go; confidence in your abilities is a
must.
You probably have a fair amount of experience in assembling
this type of model by now. The straightforward assembly can be
accomplished in one day with no hassle—that’s including the time
spent looking over the fine quality of the kit.
I recommend that you read through the manual before
assembling the Lancair. It is well written and thought out, and there
are no tricky assembly efforts involved. The latest updated version
of the manual can be found on the Web site, and you should get a
copy of it to make sure your experience is a good one.
Some modelers have apparently had trouble keeping the canopy
in place in high-speed flight, but I have had no problems with the
basic kit propulsion system or with my later upgrade to an AXI 2808
motor.
The model is exceptionally fast with the AXI, and so far the
canopy has stayed attached with no problems. This is a good thing
since my flying field has most of its flight space over a cornfield and
finding a lost canopy would be challenging at best.
I doubt that the Lancair could take off from a grass field unless
the grass was clipped very short. In one landing I missed the runway
a bit and landed in the grass to the side
of it. The airplane rapidly
decelerated and came
to a stop in just a
few feet,
indicating that
the “grass
drag” is
substantial.
I haven’t
had any
problems with
the landing gear as
long as I land on a
runway. In support of its
design, we shouldn’t wonder why some
landing-gear bending might occur when
landing on grass that would scale up to
cornstalk size with the full-scale Lancair.
To date I haven’t tried to hand launch the
Lancair. Aside from the fact that I can’t
generate the required flight speed with my
running launch technique anymore (my
The smoothness of
control response
and stability at
slow speeds will
give the RC pilot
confidence. Lowwing
type flying
experience is
recommended.
March 2007 71
technique is not a pleasant thing to watch),
the smooth lines of the fuselage and the low
wing make it awkward to try to hold the
model in a launching position. At least there
is no glow-fuel slime to make holding the
airplane harder.
Flying: The Lancair’s first flight was nice
and uneventful. Because little control
movement was needed to make maneuvers
smooth, I suggest dialing in exponential on
the aileron and elevator. Do check the
direction of the controls before each flight,
especially if you have a transmitter that is
capable of handling multiple airplanes.
When using the standard power system
you should allow close to 50 feet of smooth
ground or runway for takeoff. My Lancair
ran straight along the runway, and the nosewheel
steering sensitivity was about right.
When I judged that adequate flight speed
had been reached, I slowly fed in upelevator.
The Lancair lifted off smoothly
and flew smoothly with a bit of trim
adjustment. (And I did check the zero setting
of the control surfaces before flight, as the
manual instructed.)
The recommended CG location seemed
to be good, and you should make sure you
are quite comfortable with the airplane’s
flight characteristics before deviating from
the CG location. (Make sure you check the
CG before flying the airplane!)
After reaching a suitable altitude, I tried
rolls and loops and examined the low-speed
flight envelope. Level flight was good, but
maneuvers that required more energy than
level flight were difficult. The Lancair
wouldn’t loop from level flight, and it
required a dive to get sufficient energy
needed for a loop and a good, straight roll.
The Lancair’s stall characteristics are
similar to those of any airplane of this type;
that is, it will stall and drop a wingtip if the
airspeed gets too low. There isn’t enough
available power to power out of a stall
condition, so a stall that is performed
accidentally at too low of an altitude might
be the last one.
Consequently I recommend that you try
the stalls at a high altitude on purpose. This
allows you to get a feel for the airspeed you
will need to maintain during landing and the
altitude you will need for recovery and
pullout. The stall is nothing to be afraid of,
but because of the Lancair’s size you need to
get your visual system calibrated before
landing!
Landing was a nonevent; I just let the
airplane settle at a speed above the stall and
gave a little up-elevator to flare it just before
touchdown. The Lancair does land relatively
fast compared to a light foam trainer;
however, it is comfortable and predictable at
the landing speed.
The airplane flies in a scalelike manner
with the supplied power system; however, I
seem to have watched too many episodes of
“Home Improvement”; give me more
The Lancair kit
box contains
some of the
nicest parts you
will ever find at
this price. The
battery pack
and ESC are
included, along
with all the
h i g h - q u a l i t y
hardware.
Motor: As provided
Battery: As provided
Propeller: 9 x 6 slow flyer type
Motor current: 8.8 amps (10-amp limit)
Power output: 85 watts at 9.6 volts,
5,900 rpm
Radio system: Futaba 8U transmitter,
Futaba receiver, four Hitec HS-55
servos, short Y harness, 9-inch
extension
Ready-to-fly weight: 31 ounces
Flight duration: Exceeds six minutes
Test-Model Details
Type: Sport Scale ARF
Pilot skill level: Intermediate
Wingspan: 43 inches
Wing area: 236.5 square inches
Length: 31 inches
Weight: 26-32 ounces
Wing loading: 15.8-19.4 ounces/square
foot
Motor (included): Speed 400 with 3:1
gearbox
Speed control: 30 amps (included)
Power: 9.6-volt, 1800 mAh battery
(included)
Radio: Four-channel transmitter and
receiver, four miniservos for aileron,
elevator, rudder
Construction: Molded fiberglass
fuselage, cowl, wheel pants; built-up
balsa wing; solid-balsa tail surfaces;
thick molded-plastic canopy
Covering/finish: Plastic film covering;
high-gloss, two-color paint on molded
parts
Price: $99.99 street
Specifications
+•
Good flying characteristics with smooth,
harmonized control responses.
• Easy assembly with a good instruction
manual.
• Excellent prepainted and trimmed
molded parts that fit.
• Vent holes precut in fuselage. -•
Included Speed 400 motor is adequate
for scalelike flight, but I believe most
modelers would prefer a step up in
power.
Pluses and Minuses
Photos by the author
The wing’s conventional balsa structure is shown in this overhead pass as
the Lancair is set up for landing. The wing panels are removable for
transportation, but the model is small enough to put in the car’s backseat.
Right: Through the interior of the
fiberglass fuselage it’s easy to see the
predrilled holes for wing spars and
control-system wire. The canopy
magnets are hiding under the bumps
at the canopy edging line.
Far right: All cooling vents and
cutouts for the nose landing gear are
precut. The motor is delivered
mounted as shown. Notice the neat
pinstriping and color lines—typical of
the high prefabrication level.
Right: The pushrods are of a large
cross-section for strength and assure
zero flex. The battery location can
hold a large number of battery sizes
and is convenient for quick removal.
power! Feeling that many fliers would like
more power in the airplane and having had
success with the AXI 2808 in the Goldberg
Tiger 400 conversion, I decided to use the
AXI 2808 in this Lancair ES.
I used the recommended Jeti 30-amp
ESC and a Thunder Power 2100 mAh threecell
Li-Poly battery. I do believe that most
modelers who are capable of flying the
Lancair would have enough experience to
make the conversion on their own. This
review isn’t about the conversion so I won’t
go into details, but I thought you would be
interested in the results.
The AXI-powered Lancair is an
incredible airplane. Its first flight resulted in
a takeoff that broke ground in approximately
10 feet, and it appeared to climb straight up.
Level-flight speed was delightfully fast.
Huge loops and long, smooth rolls were
easy to perform, as were all looping and
rolling maneuvers. The increase in power
results in an airplane that is capable of
almost anything and with a total weight of
less than with the original power system.
The airframe has been fully capable of
handling the power involved. Even at half
power the Lancair is delightful to fly.
One problem has arisen, though. You
have to be careful when swatting flies and
other little biting things not to take your eyes
off the model; it will disappear from sight in
just a few seconds!
The Lancair ES in the original kit form
with the supplied propulsion is a great scale
airplane. The kit fit and finish is great, and
the assembly will take little time.
Be sure to visit the Great Planes Web site
for important updates and
addendums to the instruction
manual. There’s also a great video
to download of the model in flight.
Having all the propulsion gear
included is a plus—especially when
you consider the low price. You
will produce a scale-flying airplane
with good flight characteristics that
looks terrific in the air.
The Lancair is capable of
substantially more performance
than the stock configuration provides. An
increase in the motor power available to the
airplane will delight even the most jaded
modelers. I can easily recommend the Great
Planes Lancair ES to the reader. MA
Manufacturer/Distributor:
Great Planes Model Distributors
Box 9021
Champaign IL 61826
(217) 398-3630
www.greatplanes.com
Products Used in Review:
Futaba 8U Super Series radio system:
Great Planes Model Distributors
www.futaba-rc.com
HS-55 servos:
Hitec RCD
12115 Paine St.
Poway CA 92064
(858) 748-6948
www.hitecrcd.com
Other Printed References:
Quiet Flyer
October 2004 issue, Volume 09-10
RCGroups.com
www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php
?t=524500
