ORIGINAL: yoster
If you are going to buy the Challenger.. do NOT purchase it.. instead, purchase the Firebird Freedom. .
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NOTE: I have never seen that T-Hawk before.... it looks like an excellent alternative to the parkzone/hobbyzone planes. I like how they fixed what I didn't like in the challenger.. yet it still looks like the challenger... kind of.
Yoster,
I endorsed the Freedom when it first came out because I like all the HobbyZone planes, for their intended purpose. However I have read so many "less than satisfying" reports from new flyers trying to learn on the Freedom that I had to withdraw that endorsement. I am not saying it is a bad plane, but it does not seem to meet the needs of the intended target, the first time flyer.
Now, for you, an experienced pilot, it may be a great plane and I will not argue any of your points on the Challenger. I don't agree with some of them, but that is not the point of this post.
slbks5,
Do a serach on the Firebird Freedom on this forum, on
www.rcgroups.com , on
www.wattflyer.com and see what you find. More often than not the posts have not been positive on the Freedom. As such I withdrew my recommendation for the plane.
What seems to be the problem?
I have not flown the plane, but the reports seem to suggest that the higher wing loading and higher weight requires a much stronger hand launch than most new flyers are able to manage. As such, they stall on launch and the plane seems to stall to left consistently. The plane does not seem to launch all that well form ROG, rise off ground and most new flyers don't seem to have much in the way of runway anyway. Most are flying over grass fields, as I do. No runway!
I have not read a single report that was positive on the anti-crash technology. I have been surprised by this, but even the newest flyers who have achieved some degree of success seem to attribute that success to turning the ACT off.
The Challenger, the T-Hawk, the Sky Fly and the Easy Star seem to be easier for the new flyer, learning on their own. The lighter wing loading, the smaller size, the lower top speed and the excellent low speed glide seem to positively contribute to the success of these planes with new flyers.
slbks5,
If you agree with Yoster about integrated electroncis, and pull pull control systems, then choose the T-Hawk or the Easy Star, two very succesful first planes with huge followings and excellent customer support. I wish I could endorse the Firebird Freedom. It looks great on paper, but the field reports just don't support it.
Best of luck with whatever you choose. Once you buy, let us know what you got and we will try to help you along with your training.