Prangster 3d

[Craig Spence]

Hi all,

I am going to join my local model club around Christmas time. At the moment I have a multiplex Minimag which I am trying to learn to fly on but the standard power kit will not even get it off the ground, so I am buying a brushless set up which Ive been assured will be plenty of power.

I have flown gliders for short periods of time and have bought the minimag as I have invested in a new transmitter and eventually will go to IC.

I have been recomended by one of the club members to buy the Prangster, so after looking on the Internet for the best deals I have decided to go with the 3d one with an SC46 two stroke engine. With all the starting equipment and hardware it adds up to a fair bit of cash, hence the reason why all this and my club membership are a Christmas present. Ive added most of the costs up but there are no recomendations or prices for fuel for the engine, glow plugs, fuel tubeing, 4.8v flat battery pack, quick setting epoxy and also does the tape required for the prangster come with the kit.

Any feedback or information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks all

[simon barr]

Hello Craig again,

Do you really want to start with a Prangster?? If this is to be a training model I thing you money would be better spent with an artf balsa type...there are plenty on the market at very good prices.

Although the Prangster is designed to take the knocks, it also bends in flight and is in my opinion horrible to fly.....but, of coarse the choise is yours.

[Craig Spence]

Hi Simon,

 thanks for the feedback, is talking from your experience as a beginner or as youv progressed and got more experience. Is it good enough to learn the basics on, I saw a video and it looked like it flew really well. The reason I ask is because im a beginner, but I will attempt to learn by myself on a Multiplex Minimag, will this give me enough experience to fly a balsa starter?.

Thanks for the advice.

[Tim Mackey]

My prangster never "bent" when flying and flew very well as basic trainer for my missus - she now prefers the WOT4 but nonetheless, I found the Prangster an excellent design - very clever, but simple too. JM2PW

[Craig Spence]

Cheers Timbo,

 I was looking at the WOT 4 as a trainer as well but got told to hold fire. Can it be used as a trainer or do you recommend the same and go with the prangster, also I was looking at the prangster 3d for training but again got told not too, but I think if it holds the same indistructable qualities why not, surely it will save me money instead of buying both.

Oh and what does JM2PW mean.

 Cheers Timbo.

[Tim Mackey]

Just My Two Pennyworth

It is exactly that, - just my opinion, and Simon has different one which is fine......

The WOTTY is an absolute classic, and with the correct power ( no more than a decent 42 or so ) is flyable as a trainer. The only thing I would say is that it has no self stability and will go, and keep going wherever it is pointed !

Now personally I have not found this to be problem when teaching, and if your initial lessons are with a buddy lead ( which I also recommend ) there should be no problem.

Rubber band the wing on, use a fibreglass undercarriage, colour it as garishly as possible and have fun!

Again.... JM2PW

[Craig Spence]

Thanks Timbo,

I think ill go with the prangster just because I wont have to stress as much about smashing it to pieces, I think paying the extra may work out cheaper in the long run but ill see. One last thing, do you think the difference between the standard prangster model and the 3d model are that vast that I could not use the 3d as a trainer.

Once again cheers.

[simon barr]

Timbo's wife obviously got on with her Prangster, the one I flew belonged to a friend so maybe I was expecting too much from it.

The Wot 4 is a good model like Timbo says, I still use my old one to give budding pilots a go on buddy-box....how about the new Wot Trainer?

[Tim Mackey]

Sorry I reall dont know. I have an old and tatty but flyable Prangster her which is no longer used, and you could have it for nothing but would really need to arrange to collect. I did offer it to someone else a while back, but frankly trying to post it is just not practical for me. If the original person who I offered it to is still active on the forum - please PM me if you still want it, otherwise..... Craig its yours ... IF you can collect.

[Craig Spence]

Where would I be looking to collect it from Timbo?, cos if its not too far id have no problems collecting it. Cheers Timbo.

[Craig Spence]

Sorry Timbo if its wales you live in I dont think ill be able to pick it up, but thank you, its a very kind offer.

Thanks very much. 

[Tim Mackey]

I am afraid it appears you have the same problem as the other guy... you live darn sarf, and I live in Gods country oop north ( North Wales ). However sometimes people travel extensively with their work etc, and sometimes things can get arranged you know... I do for instance visit Reading area, and used to go to Dartford and Erith area.

Also  London east end a lot... but not since my poor old MIL died 

[Tim Mackey]

cross posted

[Craig Spence]

Timbo I live in Swanley so if you are planing to go to Dartford any time soon let me know and ill gladly give it a new home. You would have to let me know as soon as you do though because I work a two week on two week off rotation on the Oil Rigs in the North Sea.

 Once again thanks.

[JohnP25]

I had lots of fun with my Prangster.

Only suggestion is not to over power it. It does prefer slower landings and with a large engine, the idle is still too fast.

Enjoy it.

[Craig Spence]

Thanks John ill keep that in mind about the power, the videos ive seen of it look fun too.

[flytilbroke]

The standard Prangster was my second IC plane. Another chap had the Prangster 3D, it was more acrobatic and a little harder to control. The dowels carry the undercarraige loading as well as the wing bands, so due to this and heavy landings the dowel holes got enlarged. Not good.

The answer I used was arrived at in three stages, first I made two Piano wire extensions from the rear dowel ends to the lower front of the wire legs, joined there by tightly wrapping wire and then soldering. Later I glasscloth/resined from the around the dowels under the body. Before glassing I had tried a light ali spreader under the body and strong thin cord wrapped from dowel, under the body, to the other dowel, glass was better.

I found a 10x5 Prop' on my irvine .40 to be the best for this plane with the above mods. It was tough, and lots of fun.

 Have fun

[Craig Spence]

Hi Flytilbroke, thanks for the info, I do think im going to use the trainer model then upgrade to a totally different model. I will be useing sc46 two stroke engine have you got any recommendations for prop size for that. I have also been told a few times now that a few people do not think the prangster flys well, I have watched a few videos and it looks fine. I asked my local shop today and they said its like flying a blamonge lol! whatever that means?. Surely its fine for learning the basics on.

The guy at the shop said because the wings bend in flight that they loose or gain altitude when just trying to maintain a steady height. What do you think.

Cheers.

[Graham White]

Hi Craig, I've been learning to fly with a prangster and it's the greatest fun. Yes, its does need to be trimmed every time you fly, but that's half the fun. You learn to fly it according to the weather. On a cold day the foam retains its rigidity and it will fly almost like any other high wing trainer. But on a warm day it can relax and soften, then its like flying a different plane.

The saving grace is that if you do have a rough landing, and you will at some time, the only thing likely to get broken is the engine mount. The mount can be changed in about 10 minutes then you're back flying again. I can't think of another plane you can do that with. Whatever you decide to do, just enjoy it.

[Craig Spence]

Thanks Graham ill keep that in mind when I get around Christmas time, should be a goos time to fly then.

Cheers.

[andy watson]

Hi Craig,

I'm learning on a jumper 25, which I have equipped with an OS 46 2 stroke engine. 

It's a completely bog standard ARTF trainer.  The thing is that these all look more or less the same for a reason- they do exactly the job they are designed to do- fly true and level and are very stable.  Mine is overpowered with a 46, but this gives me 2 options. 1 take off the engine and put it into something more adventurous later, or 2 fly the jumper more aggressively than perhaps it is designed for (My main instructor flys a 40 powered jumper and he can make it do incredible things).

My point is this.  Assuming you simply use the trainer as that- a trainer; the airframe is a small cost.  These guys giving advice have forgotton the huge list of equipment they bring to the field every day costs money .  Radio gear- £150, Engine £50, Starter £15, 12V battery £10, Glowstart £10, fuel pump £10, glue £5, Fuel £15.  The list goes on....... and on and on.

So my advice is this.  Spend £35 on a jumper 25.  You will learn to fly with it, then take out all the electronics for your next plane and stick the airframe on e-bay for a tenner.  Or you crash it- in which case you will be glad you only spent £35 on an airframe!

[Craig Spence]

Hi Andy,

cheers for the advice, I think ill stay with the Prangster because of its durability and plus Ill pass it on once ive learned to fly to my wife. I think my next plane will be the WOT 4 as Ive read some good reviews on it and it looks ok as well. I already have a tx and rx I just need the plane and starter kit which all comes (including my club and BMFA membership) to approximately £400.00. Its pricey but worth it, I have alot of time on my hands so ill be out most days flying it, I work a two week on, two week off rotation so on my two weeks off ill be down the feild most days, so ill need something that can take the knocks.

 Cheers Andy.

[andy watson]

My apologies Craig-

I was mislead by it's name- the 3D prangster.  I think 3D is what they call the high end acrobatics, but looking at the model you are looking at, it does seem to be a trainer type (assuming you build it in the high wing style).

[Craig Spence]

Andy watson,

yeah I  will be building it in the high wing style and I will also reduce the throw so its easyer to learn on.

Cheers Andy.

[Alan B]

Hi Craig

I have a 3D prangster with a SC 46 two stroke ( Bags of power ). You get the fiberglass tape in the kit.  Its a bit of a pain putting it on and time consuming.  As timbo suggests pick up some garish high visibility sticky plastic -cover it and off you go!

My son is learning on it. I  just reduced the throws onto dual rate and it is fine as a trainer. I have put on a slightly larger prop with a lower pitch to slow things down a bit. He has bounced it- flipped it on its back - cart wheeled it across the field when landing ( and clipped a tree that jumped out at him!) and the only casualty has been a broken aileron link!

If that had been your average balsa model then it would have probably been Bin Bagged!  There is dihedral built into the wing, which when I put it on full throws  - I personally think it is not 3D - I would think it would be better with a flat wing.  I also get about 15 minutes flying (average) on a tank of fuel

Good fun though once you have the engine set up and have it trimmed correctly.

My Tip - re-enforce the undercarriage with a large cable tie.  Its a bit springy !

Al