What to move onto.......

[James M]

Have now lost my favorite plane, a flyingwings.co.uk Viper, pilot error caused it to meet the ground at high speed and break the nose off

 

as i now have a spare slot in the hanger looking for a new model with some exacting specs..........can any one help?

 

Specs

Must be capable of glider/soaring.

Must be electrically powered - flat field.

I have an easyglider electric (brushed version)

Not fussed if it is a wing.

As I only have a 6channel tx limited to what i can do with flaps, concerned that can't make the most of 4 servo wings.

Needs to be capable of aerobatics

Have a SAS Wildthing 60 for slopes

ARTF prefered as not a lot of time for builds

 

I know it is a tough list but can someone fill it ??

 

Edited By James M on 25/07/2009 16:50:27

[Tom Foreman]

MPX Blizzard with a 500W motor or if your feeling really brave (quick thumbs) an FVK Bandit hot liner

 

I love my Blizzard been flying it today down at the club pretty fast! I take the motor and battery out when I take it to the slope, very good fun. If you dial in some flaps on the ailerons (depends on your radio) then it slows down nicely and will even thermal! Very tough as well, stalled it and nosed in at the slope, it took it on the nose and bounced 6ft up in the air, cracked wing joiner and one of the GRP stiffeners came unglued, 5 min fix with thick CA. The only downside to this model is it is a messy build (lots of CA on the wing) and you need a smallish 3 cell LiPo that can take the high amp draw, I solved this problem by using a 30C 2200 3s1p pack.

 

Cheers

 

Tom

[ken anderson.]

second tom---mpx blizzardo.............tick's all the box's and more......i have a 300w motor in mine it'll carry on vertical as long as you want it to--the only prob i would say is it's easy to lose site of with it being small and fast.................

 

              ken anderson........

[James M]

MPX Blizzard has been looked at and is being seriusly considered, one thing i forgot to mention is I'm a leasurely flyer (read slow!) and unsure how the blizzard will respond to slower flight with a motor in it.

 

Also looking at the X Models Mini Blade Electric, certainly a bit more expensive but a forum thread is giving me cause to pause as they aren't to enamered with the build quality and I've never flown a moulded glider before.  Anyone seen anything similar to the Blade ??

[Frank Skilbeck]

James I have a mini blade glider version, they don't hang about, electric version will be heavier and faster still, not what you would call leisurly.

 

What about a Multiplex Cularis.

[Tom Satinet]

the mini blade will be a lot faster than the blizzard even. They are pretty heavy in slope form, never mind electric.

 

 

[Peewhit]

So you want something leasurely yet capable of aerobatics?

 

Appreciate that you already have an EG electric - as have I.

 

The Easy Glider Pro is an improved version which is said to be capable of performing an outside loop.

 

Could be worth investigating, otherwise the Cularis, and you can manage separate flaps with six channels.

 

What Tx do you have?

 

The Blizzard is brilliant for the price yet not exactly leasurely!

[James M]

Peewhit in answer to your question the humble DX6i

 

As for the blizzard being fast surely that would be down to the flyer, throttle back and relax - or am i missing something about this model ??

 

 

[Peewhit]

James,

 

There is nowt wrong with a DX6i and it should do everything you want including separate flaps if need be.

 

Different models fly at different speeds according to things like wing design and wing loading.

 

I slope soar an unpowered Blizzard, and excellent that it is, it has a narrow wing profile a bit similar to an F3F mouldie, and is not a slow flier.

 

You cannot take your eyes off this little beast, otherwise it is not where you think it should be!

[Tim Mackey]

But it is a bit limited in the mix department - if the user ever decides to get a glider with 4 wing servo setup and the like - the DX6i will not be suitable.

Great radio indeed...for a budget set.

[Tom Foreman]

If you don't mind building from plans, you could build a Guppy, plan downloadable here I built the one with the hotter semi-symetrical wing with ailerons, bit more complicated than the standard thermal flat bottom wing.

 

I used a brushless inrunner 400 size, direct drive onto a 5x4 prop (out of a destroyed EZGlider with tuning kit) and power it with the same 2s1p 2200 LiPos out of the dead EZglider. Its very light at about 600g and has a 60" Wing span, the 150W motor gives it nearly vertical and the battery is probably too big as I usually get 45 mins of mixed thermal hunting and power on climbing, I had to add lead to the tail, you could probably get away with a 1300 size. Its had a few crashes, but is very tough. The T-tail is a bit fragile and you have to be careful on the slope, its not a hotliner, but it can build up a fair ammount of speed if you want to fly that way.

 

Its basically similiar to the EZ glider, thermals pretty well. Can be hard to see though because its smaller, penetrates into wind very well though unlike the EZ glider, and it does not require ballast in strong winds as it is pretty slippery. Its mildly aerobatic, flies inverted much better than the EZ glider, due to the wing section. It even has some of the servos out of the old EZ glider. I like it pretty much, but its not a hard build, but some bits are tricky like laminating the balsa pod (you have to carve a foam blank to help form it), but if you enjoy bulding from plans, it will be no trouble for you, here is a photo of mine and the extensive build thread on rcgroups.

 

 

Cheers

 

Tom

Edited By Tom Foreman on 27/07/2009 20:29:58

[James M]

Thanks for all the advice

 

Settled on the MPX Blizzard as bird of choice for a few reasons, but the main is that it is an easy-ish build (bar the wing spars from what the build blogs say), the other big reason is cost - can be done on my budget.

 

Looking at my hanger I can see a disturbing trend to foam, in fact no balsa......and my roots are in rubberband power, free flight balsa kits from Keill Kraft.  God that was a while a go, a long while ago, but I want head back there some day.

 

The question I now have is how easy is spakling a model ??  I am interesting in it as it appears to give a cleaner air shape(?), although I realise that it will make the model heavier.

 

The power train  I'm going to use but now which prop the 9x6 or the 9x7 guess i could try both an watt meter it out

 

 Thanks all -once again!

[Peewhit]

Hi James,

 

Where would life be without a Blizzard in the hangar?

It is a good tool.

 

I did a build on the forum yet some of the pictures went missing in the platform change.

 

It does give a few tips, and if you want the missing pictures just PM me with your e-mail address.

 

I did spackle mine and also cover the fus and wings with CW tape and profilm - makes it more durable for the slope.

 

If you are purely thermalling off the flat then just sand it clean and don't bother with spackle etc (it's not waterproof unless covered) and if not covered will just crack off with the flex of the elapor.

 

Good luck,

 

Peter

[MooSey]

I just wrote a heap here but then lost it

Suffice to say the Blizz does wots written on the tin.

As Pete above did, I followed example and gave my wing the EPP racer treatment.

As standard I can't believe how dirty it is.

As a sloper it's forte is high lift small sites. Here you can thrap it around like a mini racer. On the big open slopes it's less impressive, but then it's no 3m f3f racer is it?

Im going to fit a motor to mine. I want the extra weight and 500watts of pantfilling excitement for those days of not enough wind.

It's resilient or should I say easy to repair, but not tough.

If it bends just hold it in steam or dip in boiling water then ca as appropiate. The nylon wing bolts break all too easy. It only takes a wing tip hitting a tussock upon landing.

It does act as a mechanical fuse and prevents the damage/stress going elsewhere.

 

As long as you fly the Blizz within it's envelope it's a normal fantastic MPX design.

If you want it to be something else then spend more on something else.

It certainly does exactly what I bought it for and I enjoy it more the more I fly it.

[James M]

I did it, ordered the blizzard, the multiplex tuning kit and 4 karbonite servos - I know it is, probably, the expensive way to go but I want it to last and as someone in another forum and the model shop manager, advised that if you get a servo going you can't change them - posibly the only down side to the model.

 

Here to sticking my fingers to together, my trousers to my leg - again!!  The joys of Multiplex Builds

[Chris van Schoor]

As usual in forums, there will be differences of opinion!

 

I have not changed the surface of my Blizzard at all.  I use it as a high-wind slope plane where landings conditions are frauight.  I find the stock set-up to be very slippery (I own and fly about 6 all moulded gliders), not dirty at all.  The Blizz needs to be flown in good lift only, and it is important to keep the speed up, particularly in turns.

 

I found the bolt-on system hopeless: either nylon bolts will shear, and steel bolts will tear out the mountings.  Once I converted it to use rubber bands I haven't looked back.

[Peewhit]

Well done James - yhe karbonite servos are very good and come with 30cm long leads.

This means that you will not need servo extension leads for the wing servos but you will need them for the elevator/rudder ones in the back of the fus.

With the tuning kit it should go like a rocket so you can say goodbye to leisurely flying.

 

It is important to set the Blizzard up correctly with all throws and ailreon differential exactly as specified.

 

On the slope (even covered and 920G) mine soars up in the lightest lift when other foamies will not. It will fly well in 10mph or 40, and with the flapperons down 2mm it thermals up just like an F3F ship.

 

You do need to keep the speed up otherwise it will tip stall.

 

Good luck with the CA - it does come off fingers by soaking in hot soapy water, but as for finger nails.............

[Chris van Schoor]

Posted by Peewhit on 29/07/2009 20:03:04:

 

On the slope (even covered and 920G) mine soars up in the lightest lift when other foamies will not. It will fly well in 10mph or 40, and with the flapperons down 2mm it thermals up just like an F3F ship.

 

I have to disagree.  The Blizzard cannot come close to the light wind abilities of the 6 moulded F3x ships I have or had.

[Tim Mackey]

Posted by Chris van Schoor on 29/07/2009 18:53:09:

As usual in forums, there will be differences of opinion!

 

I have not changed the surface of my Blizzard at all.  I use it as a high-wind slope plane where landings conditions are frauight.  I find the stock set-up to be very slippery (I own and fly about 6 all moulded gliders), not dirty at all.  The Blizz needs to be flown in good lift only, and it is important to keep the speed up, particularly in turns.

 

I found the bolt-on system hopeless: either nylon bolts will shear, and steel bolts will tear out the mountings.  Once I converted it to use rubber bands I haven't looked back.

 Funny that, cos I flew a pals blizzard once in very marginal lift, in fact conditions i n which my 15oz slipstream did not even like. Went beautifully as I recall.

[MooSey]

I think the point Woodstock is trying to make is that whilst the Blizzard can fly in light lift it is not it's forte and there are better models for doing so.

I don't think anyone here could ever say in seriousness that a Blizzard is better than an Easy Glider in light lift?

In my opinion the point of the Blizz is that in good lift it really is fun. In light lift, sod the soaring and use the fan upfront it was designed for, for some modest hotlining.

 

And in comparison to chevron foamies in light lift, well they're just not that good when the wind drops off. An M60 plank however is superb in slermal conditions and I know what I'd chuck off a cliff first and expect to get it back........... and it would'nt be a Blizzard!!