Review: FlyZone Millennium Master RX-R-2013/04

The Flyzone Millennium Master is modeled after the Italian-built two-seat airplane of the same name. The full-scale aircraft is known for being a stable, yet responsive, high-performance airplane that is fun to fly. With an 80 hp engine, it is economical as well. The model shares that performance and mirrors the clean styling while adding a great-looking paint scheme that shows well on the ground and in the air.
Construction
Available in two versions—receiver-ready (Rx-R) and transmitter-ready (Tx-R)—the Millennium Master arrived well protected, with each component individually bagged and taped in place. I was particularly impressed with the foam bracing around the fuselage that allowed it to sit upright, securely centered in the box with the nose wheel installed.
The Millennium Master Rx-R is built from durable Aerocell foam and includes a carbon-fiber spar in the one-piece wing. The molded-foam fuselage includes a magnetic hatch for quick battery swaps and easy access to the two tail servos.
All four servos are preinstalled and largely rigged. Each aileron servo is completely rigged, while the two tail servos need to be adjusted and secured after the tail is glued in place. The wing is attached to the fuselage with a single nylon bolt through a steel blind nut in the fuselage.
The minor assembly steps can be accomplished in an afternoon. The only gluing step is to glue the horizontal stabilizer/elevator and fin/rudder to the fuselage. Both tab into their respective slots so alignment is easy.
Once installed onto the fuselage, the tail flight controls are attached to the preinstalled pushrods and connectors to the tail servos. It couldn’t be any easier. The only flaw I found was some small bubbles in the paint on the right side of the wing and tail. With typical handling, the paint bubbles broke, exposing the unpainted foam beneath. A quick touch-up of similarly colored red paint made the flaw unseen.
Rounding out the assembly, each main
The Millennium Master is a stable model that would be a great first low-wing aerobatic airplane. It is maneuverable and slows down well during approaches and landing.
SPECIFICATIONS
Model type: Semiscale ARF
Skill level: Intermediate builder; intermediate pilot
Wingspan: 41 inches
Wing area: 268 square inches
Airfoil: Semisymmetrical
Length: 38.5 inches
Weight: 26.8 to 28.8 ounces
Power system: 1000 Kv brushless outrunner motor (included); 30-amp brushless ESC (included); 3S 1800 to 2100 mAh battery; 9 x 4.5 propeller (included)
Radio: Four-channel radio system with four servos
Construction: Aerocell foam with carbon-fiber spar
Covering/finish: Prepainted scale scheme
Street price: Rx-R: $169.98; Tx-R: $229.98
TEST-MODEL DETAILS
Motor used: 1000 Kv brushless outrunner motor
Battery: 3S Flyzone 1800 mAh LiPo
Propeller: 9 x 4.5 slow-flier propeller
Radio system: Futaba 12Z transmitter with FAAST module; Futaba R617FS FAAST receiver; four preinstalled servos
Ready-to-fly weight: 28 ounces
Wing loading: 15 ounces per square foot
Wing cube loading: 11 ounces
Flight duration: 10 to 12 minutes
Amps: 20
Watts: 213
Rpm: 8970
PLUSES
• Fantastic scale looks.
• Easy, quick assembly.
• Durable construction.
• Stable, yet fun flight performance.
MINUSES
• Two small blemishes in the paint on wing
and horizontal stabilizer.
AT A GLANCE ...
The servos are preinstalled. The tail servos, shown to the right, required some adjustment after the pushrod was attached to the respective flight controls. Be sure to add a drop of threadlocker to each metal/metal connector.
landing gear leg is slotted into pockets in the bottom of each wing. This is a good time to add threadlocker to the metal servo connections in the wing.
With the wing installed and the aileron servo extension routed into the fuselage, it is time to install the receiver and secure the tail servo connectors with a drop of threadlocker while checking for tightness.
The motor, ESC, and cowling are preinstalled, so all that’s left is attaching the included spinner and propeller. I recommend that you set up your servo direction and control throws as well as checking correct motor-rotation direction. This ensures that you won’t inadvertently start the motor with the propeller on it during radio setup, potentially causing an injury.
In all, I spent roughly an hour on the entire assembly.
Flying
I have found a local middle school with a dirt track to be a great flying site for this model. It takes off easily from the track, and can even be flown from short-cut grass. The nose wheel provides extremely positive control while taxiing, allowing the airplane to easily handle even moderate crosswinds with ease. The stock power system and Flyzone 3S pack makes quick work of getting up to
Access to the electrical equipment is through a convenient magnetic access hatch. The battery tray is large enough to handle a wide variety of battery sizes while still achieving a suitable CG.speed and airborne in less than 20 feet with a brisk climb.
Although I prefer high-performance aerobatic airplanes, I found the Millennium Master to be a joy to fly during both aerobatics and cruising. It is stable upright and inverted and, with the recommended control throws, it is approachable for an inexperienced low-wing pilot.
All three flight controls feel well balanced and responsive. I made some changes to the setup to better match my flying style, including moving the CG slightly aft and increasing the control throws for increased responsiveness.
Despite those changes, the Millennium Master remained stable and predictable. I was especially impressed with its slow-speed performance. You can pull hard in corners without worrying about the airplane snapping out of the turn. It also slows nicely during approaches and landings.
I found the best approaches were achieved flying a stabilized approach with some power to increase the tail’s
With the CG correctly set, the Millennium
Master requires only a touch of downelevator
for stable inverted flight. In addition
to normal, upright aerobatics, the stock
power system allows outside loops and
other high-performance maneuvers.
The 1000 Kv brushless motor is preinstalled
and is a perfect match for the model. The
cowling is preinstalled as well, making this one
of the fastest box-to-air models the author has
assembled.
Right: The main landing gear includes an
attractive gear door and comes completely
assembled. Simply key the leg into the slot in
the bottom of the wing and snap into place.
Both the vertical and
horizontal stabilizers
key into slots in the
a fuselage before
being glued in place.
The pushrods are
preinstalled and are
quickly attached to
control horns on the
rudder and elevator.
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Scott Stoops shares bonus photos of this exciting,
small-fi eld aerobat.
effectiveness in
the fl are.
As with the
full-scale version,
this model is
capable of fl ying
many traditional
aerobatic
maneuvers
including loops,
rolls, spins, and
basic turnarounds.
It doesn’t have
enough side area
to be a good
knife-edge model,
but it is suffi cient
for point rolls.
The fi nal
change I made to
the model was to
put each of the
aileron servos on
its own channel so
that I could add
differential into
the aileron travel to help compensate
for some barreling of the rolling
maneuvers. To do this, simply replace
the dual input servo extension with two
individual extensions that are inserted
into unique servo slots on your receiver.
With some differential, rolls are much
more axial.
Overall, the model tracks well during
aerobatics and goes where you point it.
Because of its relatively thin wing and
small fuselage profi le, it comfortably
handles more wind than I expected.
Conclusion
I am impressed with the Millennium
Master, both in form and function. It
is well thought out, extremely durable,
and fl ies superbly. I wouldn’t hesitate to
recommend it as a fi rst low-wing model
for pilots who are already comfortable
with high-wing aileron models. It is
stable and fun to fl y.
MANUFACTURER/DISTRIBUTOR:
Hobbico
(800) 637-7660
www.fl yzoneplanes.com
SOURCES:
Futaba
(217) 398-0007
www.futaba-rc.com