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Old 01-20-2004, 10:12 PM
  #7  
caseymacgyver
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Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Redondo Beach, CA
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Default RE: How is this plane?

Ye be warned!

To all those (us) beginners who are reluctant to accept the FACT that the Aero Cruiser is a complete piece of crap, especially as a trainer, wake up. Yes, it is lucrative (1) being so cheap, (2) it does come with a video, and (3) it does almost look like a "Real" plane, but this translates to: (1) horrible performance, swift destruction, and a steady accrual of seemingly inexpensive replacement part shipping invoices, which, don't kid yourself, will cost you far more than any other option you are currently considering. (2) A video that spends 80% of its run time re-capping the assembly process, which is already excessively detailed in the instruction manual, and then about 1 1/2 minutes showing some 12 year old kid flying the thing with a big smile on his face, which believe me, will only compound your utter frustration when you don't achieve the same results. (3) Who cares what the hell it looks like when you are trying to learn. You will be crashing, there's almost no way around it. There is also no "Cool" way to crash, unless you can trot over to the downed plane, toss it again and keep flying. The much more likely scenario for the Aero Crusier, is it will wingover on you time and time again, resulting in spectactular head-on collisions with terra-firma. Foam goes flying and all you can think about is you have to spend more money on parts that cost more to ship than to buy, so you can take another stab at it next weekend. Stay away from this plane!

I speak from experience here. I am a newbie and I fell victim to all the aforementioned pros of the A.C. I'm working on my 4th fuselage, second main wing and tail set, third motor, second ESC, as the stock one would studder at moderate throttle, and I am very nearly able to fly it. What's interesting is that they give you 2 props, and I have yet to even use the second, huh. I did almost no research about good beginner planes, and have humbly learned my lesson. If anyone is smart enough to ask before they leap, at least listen to the advice of those who jumped sans parachute.

If you already went out and bought one, take the following advice.

Find a very large field to learn in, at least a football sized area. This plane is not very stable flying slow and stalls very easily, usually one wing stalling first, causing it to do a near half-roll, and head straight into the ground, almost certainly bending the motor shaft, and snapping the nose off. The solution, other than not stalling, because you are learning, is to be flying high enough to allow the plane to dive, de-stalling both wings, and then ease out of the dive. The large field will encourage you to fly comfortable at higher altitudes, and to not be in such a hurry to turn the plane. Most aircraft radios are good for nearly 1/2 mile, so let it cruise a little.

Hand-launch it nearly horrizontal, maybe up 3-5 degrees, and resist the urge to yank back on the elevator for at least 100 ft to let it build speed. This thing is a big fat hog in the air, and can't climb for its life, so take it slow and steady or you will stall, flip, and die. Also, resist the urge to add up elevator to your turns, at least to start. This too makes for easy stalls. Remember, this thing likes very subtle controlling. It's heavy and under-powered, a very bad combination, so don't think about any sudden or drastic moves. If your radio has exponential settings for elevator and rudder, set them to flatten out the mid-region of stick movement (Ususally negative %). Believe it or not, it wants to fly upright, assuming both wings are flying. When you release a turn, it flies straight, just keep your speed up, and plenty of air between the plane and the ground.

Anyway, I've rambled quite a bit. The point is, I found myself too far down the road of the cost-to-repair-and-continue vs. cost-to-abort-and-start-with-new-airplane paradox to turn back. I am finally near (I think) the end of the tunnel and am again excited about the light, but hope is a dangerous thing. I've beat my head, and plane, into the ground trying to learn/teach myself to fly. It's not impossible with this plane, but it sure as hell could have been easier and cheaper. Good luck!