Shortymet55

Which is better? The Hobbico Skyfly or T-Hawk? Basically which flies better? They both are 40" and have 380 motors and there prices are within 20, when you add up the Skyfly and all the extra parts that come with the T-hawk. They bother are $150. So, which is better?

Shortymet55

No one has flown both?

Barry2

I cannot help with any firsthand information. I am also considering a purchase like that and have been researching it. I can't find any reviews of the SkyFly, but there are a number of people very impressed by their T-Hawks, espeically the durability, and I haven't found any real negative comments on it, either. That one is looking like a good bet to me.

Hopefully somebody can chime in about the SkyFly. It looks like it has better landing gear than the T-Hawk. The controller looks like it has two sticks. Not sure how it works, though. The T-Hawk's controller incorporates pitch and turning into a single stick, which I think is a good thing.

Shortymet55

The radios are basically the same, except the T-Hawk uses a throttle slide on the back f the transmitter, and the Skyfly has another stick. They both have pitch and turning on the right stick.

Slo-V Flyer

Check out my thread in the Park Flyer forum section, labeled Flyzone Sky Fly.

Basically, I crashed it nose first into the ground from 40 ft high at almost full speed on my first flight, and understandably due to the shock broke the main wing, and tail feathers, along with the tail boom just in front of the tail feathers. Nose was a little crumpled but fixed right up, thats the beauty of the pusher type planes. Got it back in the air next morning. It flys great, albiet a little slow turn response due to the small control throws on the tail. However, if you are looking to go up real high (~200-300ft for a n00b like me) and soar around, or try to do loops, the radio system it comes with is great as I have had absolutely no glitches so far. The landing gear is awesome too, as it lets me land with a fairly fast and level approach without the need to flare.


Sam

Leo L

Sam,
Its funny that you consider 200-300 ft. as being "real high". Most beginners have a fear of flying high because they think that the plane might fly away, or they fear that crashing from that height will do a lot more damage than crashing from a lower altitude. The truth is that both perceptions are wrong. If you are flying a plane that has a hobby-grade radio, as long as you can see the plane you can control it. Although the wind is usually stronger at high altitudes, if the wind wasn't too strong for you to safely take off and land, the plane should easily be able to overcome the wind, even at higher altitudes (the only exception would be 2-channel planes). As far as crashes, the great majority of crashes occur when the plane is too close to the ground, not giving the flyer enough time to make necessary corrections. Beginners need to think about what action to take before taking the action, so they need that much more time to recover from a mistake. The 200-300 ft. altitude should be your normal flying altitude. I would clasify under 50Ft. as dangerously low; 50-200ft. as low; 200-300ft. as normal altitude; 300-500ft. as high; and over 500ft. as very high. I have a 2-channel plane with a 5ft. wingspan (Wind Spirit) that I take up until it is barely visible ( about 1000 ft.) I then shut off the motor and let it glide until it's ready to land. The flights last about 25 minutes (I haven't learned how to use thermals yet) and are very relaxing.

Don't be afraid to take the plane up high. Its the best way to give you recovery room for learning tricks.

quando

LOVE THE T-HAWK, It is just about indestructable! Absolutely the best customer service I have ever experienced!

Bodyguard

i just got the sky fly my daughter bought it for my birthday and I'm so ready to try it out. if weather will be clam and not snow id try it i live where its windy this time of year so i don't have patients when excitement overrules. well i`ll try to stay calm and maybe wind will too. soon as i get it up and running i`ll give another post to tell all how bad a flier i really am. I've been out of RC for 15 years now starting back up with electric mite be way to go see ya all soon
Bodyguard

Barry2

Don't fly it for the first time in the wind. Good bets for low wind are very early in the morning or early evening.

Bodyguard

Thanks Barry2 for the info after all these years of being out of RC now going back in i`m sure my hands will be shakeing alot LOL. I`ll take your advice got to get this down right cause want to impress my grandkids and sure dont want to ditch it while there here your a good person

Thanks
Bodyguard

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

I have flown both, and they both fly well. But the Sky fly radio range is only 500 feet vs 2000 for the T-Hawk.

Sky Fly has better landing gear and better ground handling.

Slo-V Flyer

Actually, "really high" for me is when I can't keep looking up into the sky, hurting my neck and the plane appears small enough to lose into the open sky. And, of course I dont wanna lose my radio signal (or plane for that matter), so I believe for me the 300 ft. mark for now is plenty. I get about 10 minutes of flight time including full power climbs, power off or low throttle soaring, and then gliding back all with some battery power to spare (though one time I unknowingly drained it all, and dead sticked it allll the way down, pretty exciting when I figured out the motor was not turning when I gave it juice later....). And yes I was hoping to do some "thermaling" whenever I figure that out.

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

A thermal is a column of warm rising air that occurs when one section of the
ground warms faster then other sections. As the air raises it draws in
more air. Think of a very slow moving tornado. Not exactly
correct but close enough for first approximation.

What do thermals look like?
http://www.flyaboveall.com/mountainp...rmalclinic.htm


If you have an electric plane and your ESC has a brake, set the break to
work. This will stop the prop from spinning. When you are gliding, a
spinning prop is like dragging an anchor. It really increases the drag.

Almost any plane can thermal, but the lighter the wing loading the better.
Under 12 ounces/sq ft is really good and under 8 is great! The typical
small electric plane has wing loadings in this area so they often thermal
well.

Flat bottom or under cambered wings tend to do better than symmetrical or
semi-symmetrical wings but if the lift is strong, you can thermal anything.
In fact we sometimes have to pull out of thermals because the lift is so
strong that the plane can be pulled into the sky and out of sight. I have
seen it happen.

For some people this may sound boring, but I relate it to fishing. You may
cast out many times with no bites. Still, the process is relaxing and
pleasurable. Then, you get a nibble and the fun begins. Where is he?

Finally you get a strike and the fight begins.

You go on each fishing trip looking forward to the catch, but knowing that
you will enjoy the process even if you come home with nothing. To
nonfishermen this sounds odd. They just don't understand. Likewise with
thermaling.

TIPS ON FINDING THERMALS

The best conditions are calm air, hot sun and low humidity. Some big dark
areas surrounded by lighter areas will help to create thermals, so look to
see if there is anything like that on or around your field. A freshly
plowed
field is good. A parking lot works great! A large building with a black
roof is
awesome.

However I have caught thermals at 35 degrees F in 15 mph winds. They can be
weak and they move fast, but the are there!

Here are some thoughts on the hunt!

Get your plane up high, the higher the better. Get it well up wind from you
as we are going to glide and drift with the river of air.

If you have a motor, cut the motor and trim the plane for nice level flight.
Now, focus on watching the plane and keeping it on a nice steady glide.
Steady as she goes. Try to keep your hands off the sticks as much as
possible.

Let the plane ride with and across the river of air, giving it only
occasional input to
keep it going in the general direction you want to go, but don't be a
stickler
about it. Let it drift like a fly on the surface of the river, waiting for
a trout.

If you listen with your eyes, it will speak to you, but you have to listen
patiently.

Glide across the wind, not into it and not with it. Sort of a 45 -60 degree
left for a while then a 45 to 60 degrees to the right. Nice and slow and
easy. You want to cover the sky and search the moving river of air, like a
bird looking for food.

As you are flying watch the wing tips the nose and the tail. If a wing
seems
to bump up, or if the plane seems to become buoyant, floating up for a
moment, it
could be a gust, or you might have just brushed a thermal. Go immediately
into a slow turn in the direction of the wing that rose. If you think you
went
right through it, fly on for a moment then turn to circle back into it. It
will be moving toward you.

Try to make a circle, but not too tight or you will lose too much altitude.
Try for about a 75-100 foot diameter at first. Complete a couple of turns
and see if the plane seems to be rising. If it is, just stay with the turn
but give it a little up (back) stick. Not a lot, just a little. Maybe two
to four clicks on the up trim. Just a little. We don't want to scare the
thermal, we want to bond with it.

Try to observe if the plane is rising steadily, or if it seems to rise and
fall that means you are not centered in the thermal, so work your way more
toward the side of the circle where the plane rises.

Remember that thermals move with the wind, so you are not trying to stay in
one place in relation to the ground. The air is like a river and you are
trying to stay in a little whirlpool that is moving with the river.

If you go into the turn and make a couple of turns with no success, then
just
resume the search pattern I mentioned. Angles across the wind. Not into it
and now with it.

A sailplane in lift
[url]http://www.rcgroups.com/articles/liftzonemag/2004/mar/ava/Ava2.wmv[/url
]

If you are getting out too far, work your way back the same way, angles to
the wind.

Unless you hit a boomer, you are not going to immediately know you are in
lift, so you have to watch the plane. Sometimes it becomes apparent because
you realize that your not sinking but appear to be holding altitude. The
only
way to do that is to be in lift.

Remember also that thermal can vary in size and intensity. Some are fairly
narrow and some are so large that it seems a whole region of the sky is in
lift. I rode one area recently for 45 minutes where it seemed about 1/4 of
the field was in lift. You didn't really have to circle. You could just fly
back and forth and the plane would rise beautifully. Those are really nice,
when you find them.

It is a hunter's game, if you are up for it.

Good luck pilot! May your hunt go well!

Resources

Get the Old Buzzard's Soaring Book (A11560) Thornburg from:
http://www.carstens-publications.com/

What do Thermals Look Like
http://kohlin.com/air/soar-faq.htm#589882
http://www.rc-soar.com/tech/thermals.htm
http://www.apogeerockets.com/educati...g_thermals.asp


Thermaling on a windy day
http://www.moneysmith.net/Soaring/soaring9.html#ref97

Video on thermaling
http://radiocarbonart.com/Pages/asecthermalmain.html

The Soaring Methods of Birds
http://www.apogeerockets.com/educati...ng_methods.asp

Search Patterns
[url]http://www.quicktechhobby.com/articles/thermal_surfing%20part%202.htm[/
url]

Slo-V Flyer

Hey thanks for the informative reply!

I knew mostly what a thermal was, as in a rising column of air, just not too much in detail. But, as I said, I gotta find one, and with the weather as hot as it is going to be the next few days, I am hoping to find some..... only problem is... at higher altitudes, it's harder to tell within a small amount of time if Im rising of descending. So even if I do come across a thermal...., I guess practice makes perfect. Oh and one more thing, how high (the lower, the safer for my cheap RTR electronics...) can R/C-able thermals possibly exist? Is 100 to 200 ft possible? Or do they only occur higher? Like I said, if the plane gets beyond a certain height, I just can't tell if its gaining/losing altitude, let alone what attitude its nose is at (pointing below or above horizon and stalling) which is actually another issue that comes with flying high for me I guess.

BTW about the ESC brakes, thx for pointing that out about stopping the prop. Problem is, neither my SkyFly nor my Slo-V rtr electronics allow me to do that drag brake stuff , though I believe my Skyfly's prop usually does come to a full stop when I cut the motor.

Man its so nice and calm outside tonite (finally, after how many windy days...grrrrr) , too bad I dont feel like risking a night flight with a tree encounter. {]

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

I know what you mean by windy. I was in Arlington last month and the calmest it got was about 8 mph.

The best way to watch your plane for themal activity is to have it out in front of you. It is very hard to tell what it is doing if it is nearly overhead. It is also easier to tell if the plane is crossing, rather than coming at you or heading away.

Of courese you need to do your thermal hunting with the motor off, otherwise you will just fly throught them and never even notice.

As the links show, thermals start on the ground. you can pick up a thermal at 20 feet. I have seen it done by skilled pilots flying 60" hand launched gliders and 3 Meter ( aobut 10 feet ) gliders. But it is harder because they tend to be smaller and narrow at the ground. As you go up they get wider so it is easier to find them and "define" the edges.

For your plane, I would say above 100 feet, about double tree height in your area, is OK, and higher is better. If you catch one, don't let the plane get too high or you can lose it against the sky. We call this specking out, when the plane becomes so small you can hardly see it.

In addition, the Sky Fly only has a 500 foot range so you could lose radio contact before you lose sight.

You Slo-V will actually thermal better than the Sky Fly because of its lighter wig loading and its radio has a longer range.

Have fun, learn to glide your planes and you will find those thermals. And when you do .........so cool! Then you will want to get an Easy Glider electric and your own radio and do some real thermal hunting.

Slo-V Flyer

Hey that's kinda cool I didnt know you were from around here (or were you just visiting Texas?) Anyways, thx for the heads up on the Slo-V having better range (though with my experience so far, its always easier for the SkyFly to gain altitude hence my ramblings about its "good" radio ) I'll have to work harder (read: hope to god its not crazy windy) and try to get my Slo-V to climb higher. BTW what is PKZ's specified range on the Slo-V's radio system? If it's *practically* any better than the SkyFly's, I should just be able to "speck" out if I wanted to do such a thing, still under radio range. Now that I think about it, from my perspective when I was high-flying my SkyFly, it _did_ become a very small slightly-pointy-dot in the sky and I did manage to lose it for a few seconds whenever I looked away. So maybe I have flown well over 300ft, perhaps 500-600ft? If only I could afford some kind of an onboard altimeter. [8D]

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

I live in NY. I have family in Arlington.

Range on the Slo-V, as I recall is around 2000 feet +/- 500 feet.

If you can't get the Slo-V to climb, you may have it too nose heavy. I think you move the wings forward a notch to adjust that. Have not flown one in over a year, so I forget.

As for altitude:

Here are two ideas that were offered in forums I visit.

Place the plane against some sold background, nose down so you have the wing
span visible. Then I will go back in 100' increments. Hold the radio so it visually touches one tip of the wing and mark the length of the wing at each length. hold the radio at arm's length each time. At each 100 foot distance, mark the antenna with the observed length
of the wing. Probably accurate within 20% which is probably good enough.

Remember this is the distance to the plane, not the height above the ground,
but it gives you a reference.

Now, if you do this 5 times, you will know what the plane looks like at 500 feet, which is the limit of the range of the radio under good conditions. Don't let it get that far out or you might lose it.

The second suggestion is to measure a tree and use it as a comparison. Now you are measuring how many tree heights the plane is above the ground. This will be good for when you are near the edges of the field. If you have a
reference tree on each side of the field you can estimate.

Just crude first approximations.

Slo-V Flyer

Thanks for the ideas on visually judging distance. I might try a similar method next time I'm out. Btw, it seems the cg may or may not be the problem. The SloV climbs well up to ~25-30 ft., and then going up from there seems to depend more on the wind not being faster than a particular speed, so that I can climb up, instead of bobbing and weaving.

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

Oh, you are flying a Slo-V in wind? That is not a good wind plane.

Try this:

1) Move CG slightly forward
2) Go to 7 cell battery - both stronger and a touch heavier
3) Keep your climb angle shallow to keep your speed up.

Lift is generated by air speed over the wings. That is, your ground speed + the speed of the air moving over the wings from the breeze. The more wind, the more of that air speed comes from the wind component.

If you nose up, you present the bottom of the wing to the wind which then pushes you back. You need to keep the nose mostly level and move it from a little up to maybe even a little down in order to keep your speed up.

This is not a techincal aerodynamic description, but more of a visual description. You can't really climb if the wind is pushing you back. You must hold your positing or move forward. Try keeping the nose more level, going 7 cell and perhaps add some weight.

If you are already at 7 cell, strap on a second battery on a windy day, just for ballast. That might be too much, but what it will do is allow the plane to fly faster, up to a point.

Glider pilots do this all the time.

Let me know your results.

starpower4u

I have a T-Hawk that is VERY experienced w/crashing. In fact in about 20-30 attempts it has never had a successful flight. The problem is that it seems to have a very limited transmitter range at about 200' the signal is lost and it flys it's own way to the next crash. I've replaced the reciever to no avail. On the ground I can only get about 150-200' away before it stops reacting to my inputs. It seems to me to be very difficult to keep the plane this close to me and every time I've lost control. It certainly is a great testiment to how robust this plane is, many spectacular crashes that have left me amazed as I reach it intact. Transmitter has had fresh batts. in it a couple of times for no improvement.

I've been considering buying a "real" system, and hear that the Multiplex Easy Glider Elec. may be the way to go (closer to real anyway). Continuing to rebuild the T-Hawk and replacing parts w/o any improvement is not at all rewarding.

I'm surprised (and a bit encouraged) to hear that many on here like the T-Hawk, any advice as to what I should do?

My interest at this stage is to take advantage of the killer slopes and thermals on my property.

I always appreciate input!

-jeff

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

OK, T-Hawk radio sysetm, when working properly, should have a range of about 2000 feet, so you have something defective. Since you replaced the receiver I know you are working with customer support. Right?

If the receiver is OK, then it must be the radio.

Did you follow the range check procedure that I presume is in the manual? What range do they tell you it should be? Is the check doen with the antenna down?

1) Is the antenna tight?
2) Radio batteries fresh?


You have an electroncis problem.

starpower4u

Confession time, I actually gave up on the thing thinking it was just a crappy toy. After reading in here I see that it is not, but instead a crappy attitude on my part. I will call them in the morning and see where we can get. Tight antenna, fresh batts and not done the antenna down test.

Thanks for the reply!

-jeff

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

Not done the antenna down test????????

I would bet that the instructions tell you to do a range check before you fly. This is the reason why. RTFM!

I have a 7 channel computer radio and a 9 channel computer radio. I fly mostly Hitec receivers.

I RANGE CHECK EVERY TIME I GO TO THE FIELD BEFORE THE FIRST FLIGHT OF THE DAY ON EVERY PLANE. IF IT DON'T PASS RANGE CHECK, IT DON'T FLY!

I think you get the message.

When all else fails, read the instructions. I don't have the manual but I would bet there is a procedure in there to do a range check. If not, you let me know.

GEOS

Hi,

I am new to this forum and very new to RC flying. I purchased a Skyfly recently and it appears to have excellent flight characteristics. After a recent crash I needed to replace the wing, and purchased another from Red-Rocket. Now I can't get the thing off the ground without a lot of up elevator. The controls appear to be fully functional and aligned and there is no other damage visible on the plane. The new wing fits like the old one did (hate those rubber bands). The only thing I can see is that the pusher prop is not perpendicular with the body, IE a few degrees out with the bottom of the prop closest into the body. It is not a huge amount but it is noticable. The shaft doesn't appear to be bent, and the motor appears snug in the plastic housing. I don't see any way to adjust the motor position, but I suspect the prop angle of attack as the cause.

When the Skyfly was new it took off from the ground at full trottle without any up elevator, really nice. Wind conditions are about the same, but a had launch now equals an auger without immediate sustained up elevaltor. The flight surfaces are all centered and return nicely. I just can't figure out what to change to get the bird back into the air!

I have a lot of experience with simulators, but Skyfly is my first RC plane of any kind.

Like to hear from all, THANKS!

George

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

1) Does the plastic around the motor seem deformed, like the motor moved?

2) Check the boom that holds the tail. Can you move it around at all, or rotate it. It should be solid

3) If it can be moved, does the tail seem do droop down a bit if you look at it from teh side? The boom should go straight out from the body, not sag toward the rear.

Perhaps you can post some photos.