netdudeuk

I've been trying to choose between the MUS and the MPXT. Not an easy choice. People say that the MUS is more aerobatic but it IMHO doesn't look nearly as good as the MPXT.

When I saw the MUS in the LHS I wanted to buy it there and then but they did not have the motor. However, watching videos of the MUS doesn't show anything amazing though.

I'm not sure what either plane would offer over and above my Typhoon in terms of flying capablities. I'd welcome people's comments.

Doc Austin

Netdude, I'll have to reply when I'm not so against the wall on time, but I promise I will. If you can't wait that long, get them both.

For now, here's the back of the T-Shirt:

Fliprob17

You should put that on the back HUGE and just the "Mini Pulse XT" logo on the front, top left

firestick52

Captain John,

Haven't had a chance to fly the FuntanaX yet, but the quality is excelent- better than the original yellow mini funtana. The original was a bit twitchy, which the reviews say has been fixed on the X. I had a lot of fun with that little plane, though. The new FuntanaX is larger than the PulseXT. It has a fabulous looking thick wing like its bigger bros. All the reviews say it flies slow extremely well, which is great for both 3D and sport flying. I'd say if you like the way the PulseXT is built, you'll luv the FuntanaX because the construction is very similiar.

My MUS was my first balsa plane. I've had 3. Loved them to death. Then I started to switch off, flying the MUS first and then the original mini funtana. I got the PulseXT just for grins- its a perfect park flyer with a much different profile up in the sky. Its fun and very predictable. Like I've said before- I just love E-flite planes!

Fliprob17

The difference is FOAM vs. BALSA/PLY. Foam is generally squirley, affected greatly by the wind, and manuevers are jumpy and un-crisp. Balsa/ply cuts much better in the air, and holds/handles speed better. Manuevers are much more crisp and the plane flies a lot smoother.

You really can't compare a 3D foamie to balsa/ply sport aerobatic planes. The 3D foamie is made to fly about 100 feet from you and somewhat low to the ground (under 100 feet). Doing crazy moves right in front of your face. If you like flying right in front of you and doing the 3D moves, then maybe the sport/aerobatic planes are not for you, who knows. But it is not fair to the sport planes to compare them to a 3D plane. Nor is it fair to compare a 3D foamie to a higher speed sport/aerobatic plane. They are made to do completely different things. The sport planes are more long range, higher speed flyers. Also requiring a bit more space than a 3D foamie.

Doc will have a bunch of good input on this, I am sure.

netdudeuk

100 feet ? My buddy reckons that I fly it on the edge of the atmosphere

Have you seen the Typhoon flying ? I reckon that mine is pretty crisp. I'm not saying that the balsa ones are not better though. I'm sure that it could be made to do most if not all of the typical pattern moves but wood planes are appealing to me and I like the E-Flite brand. I've had loads of fun with a brushless E-Starter, something that is not that precise. I reckon that one of the two E-Flites would offer a more precise sports flying experience in a nicer package. I've got a spare Park 450 and ESC so I'm not looking to go for a Park 480.

Doc ? I'm sure that he will have some useful comments. Thanks for yours.

Doc Austin

You guys have been busy. I'll try to catch up.

Nah. The Pulse XT 46 is going on the front. I'm still working on the artwork, but it will be sweet.


Get them both. Why choose? They're cheap considering what you get. They both fly great on 480s and 2100s, so all the hardware is interchangeable. If you have to get just one, get the Pulse first because the Ultra is a little wilder.

I'm kind of falling out of love a little bit with the Ultra Sticks now that I've got my Pulse flying so well.


The best I can do is video of my Ultra Stick 25E in 25mph winds, but the Mini is very similar, though a little more explosive on acceleration.......

http://largoflyingclub.com/app06/stick.wmv

E flite's Mini Ultra video is not very good. They ought to come down here and videotape mine. I turn that plane inside out and they would probably lose their minds if they see what I'm doing with my Pulse. I sent Fliprob some video from yesterday's Pulse thrashathon and after he edits it we'll post it here. give us a week or so,


I didn't like my Typhoon. I bought one when I came back to flying after 15 years away and I almost quit again because it wasn't any fun to fly. Then I got a Mini Ultra Stick and here we are with a ceiling full of flyable of Ultra Sticks and Pulses and a closet full of kits of both of them. If you like the Typhoon and are comfortable flying it, you're going to flip out over the Pulse. The Mini Ultra Stick will blow your mind.

Of course, a lot of people like the Typhoon. I'm just not one of them. It's not a bad plane. It just isn't what I like. I like wood airplanes that have lots of gut wrenching torque and brutal, barbaric power.

The 450 is a nice little motor, but the 480 is a completely different beast. It actually more like a monster. Get one of the E Flite planes and fly it with the 450, then maybe move up to a 480 later down the road when you get used to the plane with the 450. Neither plane is bad with the 450, they just aren't as explosive as I want them to be. The Mini Pulse is just way too nice with the 450, but with the 480 it's super bad.

Even with the 450 the Ultra or Pulse will still have more punch than the standard Typhoon. If you get either E Flite plane, I promise you will come back and say it's a major step forward.

netdudeuk

"I'm kind of falling out of love a little bit with the Ultra Sticks now that I've got my Pulse flying so well. "

I've read much of your other (appreciative) text about the sticks so this is front page news ! What makes you think this way now ?

I may well get the MPXT then. Park 450, APC 10x7, a 20A (constant) ESC, 4 x HS55 and a 2250 3S which is more or less like the PL2100 to look at / weigh.

The manual specifies a 25A ESC but the motor isn't rated at over 20A and on the P-47 with the 10x8 they don't ask for a 25A ESC so I expect that this will be ok.

How many servo extensions have people got in the MPXT ?

"Even with the 450 the Ultra or Pulse will still have more punch than the standard Typhoon"

I like the 3D prop so it's not fast anyway so it sounds like the 450 would be ok power wise.

"If you like the Typhoon and are comfortable flying it, you're going to flip out over the Pulse"

I've flown the Typhoon dozens of times and got quite used to it with the 2250 3S LiPo. It's my favourite and heaviest plane (not including my 62" nitro). What would the Pulse enhancements be ?

When people write that the MUS is more agile it tends to make the MPXT look pretty simple. I suspect that you'll tell me that this is not so.

Thanks

bzizzi

Flew the MP again tonight in a 15mph + wind,not the smartest thing I ever did.
It flew great except when it came time to land,it took me four tries to get it
on the ground because the wind really started to pick up.I finally realized I
could not bring it in dead stick or it would stall so I finally gave a little throttle
and landed it in one piece,I must say it was one of the nicest three point landings
I ever made.I am glad I put a bigger motor in it and had the thrust of a SF prop.
I am really falling in love with this plane,I try to mix it up with the MFX,MUS's
and the MP,but lately this plane gets the most air time.I love the way it rolls
so gracefully and fly's invereted with ease.My parts should be in this week for the US25e.
(Thanks To Doc)After watching your video I went with pretty much the same set up.
I was able to get a Pheonix 60 ESC and a 3cell 4200 Lipo from Dragonfly for only
$224,this was $35 less than I could get locally.they have pretty good prices and
yes they will deal !!!

Doc Austin

The Pulse is such an attractive airplane. I've probably had at least 100 Stick type planes in various sizes and power configurations. I even manufactured my own for awhile. They are still the greatest, but right now I'm enjoying flying something different.

I wasn't so thrilled with the Pulse with the 450/1320, but the extra weight of the 2100 pack will take some of the "floatyness" out of the plane. The 450/1320 setup is just too light


I managed to get away with none in the wing, but it was really close. I've got a 6 inch extension on both the rudder and elevator.

The speed is nice, but I like to have the power to punch out if I get into trouble low to the ground. The 450 had good power, but when you're in deep trouble you need more to pull you out of it. I fly right on the edge all the time, and you can't do that without making a few mistakes. Sometimes that extra power is all that saves you. If you aren't going to fly that hard you probably won't absolutely have to have the 480, but I can't live without it.

Besides, if a plane doesn't scare me a little bit I lose respect for it and that's when you get too confident and stick it into the ground.


My experience is that the Pulse grooves better and is more forgiving in a stall situation. With the 480 the Pulse just rockets up out of sight, and at the other end i can drag it around in a near stall all day and it never bites me. I'm just extremely comfortable with this plane and sometimes i think I can do anything with it. I never got comfortable with the Typhoon. Like I say, lots of guys love that plane, so maybe it's just me.

They are both pretty simple airplanes, even though the Pulse doesn't look like it. They both use a constant chord, constant thickness wing. While the Ultra uses a fully symmetrical airfoil, the Pulse uses a semi-symmetrical airfoil. I think the semi is more forgiving in stall and near stall situations, but with all the power on tap you never have to worry about being stalled for very long.

In a way, the Pulse isn't as aerobatic as the Ultra because the semi-symmetrical airfoil isn't as efficient when inverted. Still, it isn't really bad either, and it's something you learn to fly around. The Ultra's fully symmetrical airfoil doesn't produce as much lift, but it's faster. The Pulse's airfoil produces more lift, and it stalls more progressively. This is extremely useful when you are monkeying around low to the ground at slow speed. The Ultra's airfoil produces it's lift from sheer angle of attack and the window between near stalled and fully stalled is much narrower than the Pulse's. Right there is enough to make the planes completely different, but it's also amazing how similar they are in some respects.

The Ultra suffers from horrible roll coupling because so much of the rudder area (almost all of it, in fact) is above the thrust line. Knife edge is pretty dicey with an Ultra. You can knife edge and slow roll the plane, but you really have to think about what you're doing. Conversely, the Pulse has a more conventional, pattern style appanage, with the rudder more evenly distributed above and below the thrust line. It's not perfect, but it's better, and the Pulse is much more stable in knife edge and slow rolling maneuvers.

The Pulse has alot of dihedral, whereas the Ultra has none. The dihedral makes the plane sublimely stable and forgiving, but it does make it wobble a bit in rolling maneuvers. It doesn't snap as wildly or spin as cleanly as an Ultra, but I don't think the plane was meant to be flown like that. In spite of this, it still does those things well enough........just not as good as an Ultra.

I don't mean to over-analise the planes, but I put a lot of thought into what's going on with them in the air. They fly differently, but I fly them the same way, and it's just all very interesting to compare them. This is made even more significant because I really do adore them both so much. It has been a dilemma for me to choose which airplane I want to fly, though I immensely enjoy them both. They each have their strong points, and neither, except for the Ultra's roll coupling, has a glaring weakness. For me, the planes are very close in their appeal, which is why I am glad I have examples of both, and I don't have to choose between them.

I really love them both, and no matter which one you choose, you will be extremely gratified by it.

Fliprob17

I have seen the Typhoon flying. When it is nice and calm it goes about allright. And everyone I have seen fly it keeps it right around them, for the close-up effect I guess. All planes have some trouble with the winds. It just seems like the foamies have a little more trouble because they are generally so light. I guess I just really am not a big fan of the Typhoon. It just isn't quite my style. But you did ask for a comparison

Yet somehow I have managed to pick up 5 of the E-Flite Yak54F

Fliprob17

Somehow I have managed to pick up 4 more planes tonight.......don't quite know what happened

GOOD NEWS: I picked up another Mini Pulse XT for $61, with only one small wing section with a wrinkle in the ultra-cote and one cracked rib. I also picked up 3 more of the YAK 54F 3D's for only $39.

BAD NEWS: My wife has 86'd me from E-Bay [:@] No more planes for a while, guess I will just have to start building the 8 I have laying around now

bzizzi

I had to actually disassemble two planes and put them back in box's so my wife
dosn't think I'm nuts for making the basement lool like a Howard Hughes hangar.
I have planes everywhere.I took apart a MUS and put the US25e in it's place so
it dosn't look so obvious.It is still cheaper than gambling or having a mistress.

Fliprob17

Ya, but it seems to be more ADDICTING

Doc Austin

Here's the original photo................

hobby-plane-rc

Dont ya just love the smothe and stable charactarisics of this plane, weather its in a inverted position, upright or knife edge its stable Ive even managed to land the Mini pulse inverted when my fields grass (was tall).

rc302

yeh it dose fly nice i wanted to fly my today but had to many thing after work my only about 3 weeks old ive made over 30 take off landings in it i love this plane

Doc Austin

T Shirt Front

Fliprob17

Hey Doc,

Got the video. I will start working on it and post a link. Some great flying. This is really a great little plane!!

Doc Austin

I almost dumped it a few times. Very forgiving plane.

Take that Sportscar GT game and unzip it to a temp file. Then click on the EXE, and when it asks for video driver secection, click "3DX," and then drive.

netdudeuk

Do you know of anyone who has used 3S 1600mAH 10C/12C packs with the MPXT ?

Horizon say that the Park 450 is rated as shown below

Continuous Current: 14A
Maximum Burst Current: 18A for 15 seconds

That pack can deliver a constant 16A and a burst current of 19.2A so it should be able to handle the current demands.

I'm talking about the APC 10x7E prop

Doc Austin

My electric knowledge is a little weak so I can't exactly address your question, but I have tried the 1320 Thunder power pack with an E Flite 450. It was adequate, but too weak for my own personal tastes. It's only a few more dollars for the 480/2100 combo, and I think the plane needs the extra weight anyway. The one fallacy in my logic is that I used an APC 10/5E, so I may have had it under propped. At the time I didn't know how to check AMP draw, so I went with what the LHS recommended. Two inches is allot of pitch, and that may have been enough to really hurt the performance.

We're getting ready to fly my friend's Pulse with a 450, so we'll try the 10/7E and check the amp draw. Thanks for the heads-up on that.

bzizzi

Doc,try the e flite 10X7 SF prop on your friends MP,It is the same prop that comes with the MUS PNP.
It works alot better,Imo

Fliprob17

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rawC-C9JMWA

Here is the link to the video of Doc Austin flying.

rc302

nice video i love my mp they are such a great plane