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The Return of the Avistar RTF - Now it's Elite! - 8/9/2012 4:30 AM   
bigedmustafa



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Status: offline 		Tower Hobbies has just added a catalog entry for the new Great Planes Avistar Elite .46 RTF:

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LNCNSW&P=G

This new Avistar is being marketed as a Great Planes trainer rather than a Hobbico product like the current Avistar ARF and former Avistar RTF trainers. At $339.99 before discounts, it isn't priced as a bargain plane. It will be interesting to see what radio and engine have been bundled with the package.

The engine in the picture looks to have a round cylinder head like the Thunder Tiger Pro .46, but the muffler looks more like an O.S. Power Box muffler like the one that comes with the O.S. Max .46 AX. Will Great Planes bundle the Futaba 6J with this new Avistar Elite, or go with the Tactic TTX 404 or TTX 600 radio? The Futaba 4YF 2.4Ghz isn't buddy box capable, so I'm hoping they won't choose it for the RTF trainer.

The flight instructors at my club have been longing for the return of the Avistar RTF; I'm excited to learn more about what Great Planes has in mind!

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RE: The Return of the Avistar RTF - Now it's Elite! - 8/9/2012 7:07 AM   
Mr67Stang



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Status: offline 		I was just looking into this plane and discussing it in the ARF/RTF section. I instruct at my club sometimes and loved the original avistar Avistar but always wished it had a bolt down wing. The pictures of the Elite looks like a single bolt wing like the Nexstar as well as the Nexstars less than optimal slide and lock landing gear. I too zoomed in on the engine and saw the "Power Box" style muffler and am hoping for a .46 ax on the nose. I am getting one of these. But the gear issue will be addressed first. Also if it's not a bearinged engine, I will wait for the ARF.

EDIT:// Do those wings look a little thinner AKA... FASTER!

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RE: The Return of the Avistar RTF - Now it's Elite! - 9/23/2012 9:00 AM   
Mr67Stang



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Status: offline 		It's in stock!

http://www.towerhobbies.com/products/greatplanes/gpma1605_e.html


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RE: The Return of the Avistar RTF - Now it's Elite! - 9/23/2012 2:24 PM   
jester_s1


 

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Status: offline 		Ah, a .46 AX II. I wonder what changes they've made? Sad to see they bundled a Tactic radio with it though. Beginners who buy it will just be spending their money again to buy something better, and hardly anyone will have a compatible buddy box unless Tactics can use one from a major brand.

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RE: The Return of the Avistar RTF - Now it's Elite! - 9/23/2012 3:00 PM   
Mr67Stang



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quote:

ORIGINAL: jester_s1

Ah, a .46 AX II. I wonder what changes they've made? Sad to see they bundled a Tactic radio with it though. Beginners who buy it will just be spending their money again to buy something better, and hardly anyone will have a compatible buddy box unless Tactics can use one from a major brand.

I'm not familiar with the Tactics Radio system. What kind of buddy box cord do they use? They advertise it as being 2.4 GHz so it must be updated.

EDIT// Just got this off the TH site: "Wireless trainer system" I have no idea how this would work or if I would trust it.

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RE: The Return of the Avistar RTF - Now it's Elite! - 9/23/2012 3:50 PM   
JohnBuckner



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quote:

ORIGINAL: jester_s1

Ah, a .46 AX II. I wonder what changes they've made?




The original 46AX was more FX than any of the later AX series engines. The series 11 has the new AX carb with the revised mid range as well as the slant needle system and what I beleve a superior throttling setup. It is much like all the other AX's now.

I love the AX's except that original .46. I have many examples of most of the sizes now and have been slowly replacing my former favorites the FX's on all my multi engined airplanes with various AX's and then some.

I agree with you on that bundle with the Tactic radio is likely a mistake. A simple bundle of the engine and airplane without any radio would sell well and certainly one I would promote. The Tactic seems to me to be a 'Tacky proposition' and not a combination I would recommend to any new folks.

John



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RE: The Return of the Avistar RTF - Now it's Elite! - 9/23/2012 3:55 PM   
carrellh



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Status: offline 		http://manuals.hobbico.com/tac/tacj2600-manual-v1_2.pdf
The TTX600 Tx includes a built-in wireless trainer function – no trainer cable
required! This trainer system connects a teacher’s Tactic Tx to a student’s Tactic Tx
by wireless connection. Tactic’s wireless trainer function is not compatible with
trainer systems in any other brand radios.

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RE: The Return of the Avistar RTF - Now it's Elite! - 9/23/2012 8:12 PM   
Mr67Stang



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quote:

ORIGINAL: carrellh

http://manuals.hobbico.com/tac/tacj2600-manual-v1_2.pdf
The TTX600 Tx includes a built-in wireless trainer function – no trainer cable
required! This trainer system connects a teacher’s Tactic Tx to a student’s Tactic Tx
by wireless connection. Tactic’s wireless trainer function is not compatible with
trainer systems in any other brand radios.

Thanks! I figured it would be proprietary. I will pick up an ARF for some Sunday flying.



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RE: The Return of the Avistar RTF - Now it's Elite! - 9/24/2012 2:34 AM   
ramboy


 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: bigedmustafa

Tower Hobbies has just added a catalog entry for the new Great Planes Avistar Elite .46 RTF:

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LNCNSW&P=G

This new Avistar is being marketed as a Great Planes trainer rather than a Hobbico product like the current Avistar ARF and former Avistar RTF trainers. At $339.99 before discounts, it isn't priced as a bargain plane. It will be interesting to see what radio and engine have been bundled with the package.

The engine in the picture looks to have a round cylinder head like the Thunder Tiger Pro .46, but the muffler looks more like an O.S. Power Box muffler like the one that comes with the O.S. Max .46 AX. Will Great Planes bundle the Futaba 6J with this new Avistar Elite, or go with the Tactic TTX 404 or TTX 600 radio? The Futaba 4YF 2.4Ghz isn't buddy box capable, so I'm hoping they won't choose it for the RTF trainer.

The flight instructors at my club have been longing for the return of the Avistar RTF; I'm excited to learn more about what Great Planes has in mind!



The Futaba 4YF 2.4 is buddy box capable. It has the rectangular port for the buddy box cord.

It is the Tactic radios that are not buddy box capable. They can only communicate with other Tactic radios.

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RE: The Return of the Avistar RTF - Now it's Elite! - 9/24/2012 2:40 AM   
jester_s1


 

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Status: offline 		Tower is really hoping to get a following for the Tactic stuff. It makes perfect sense to me from a business standpoint since most of us with stick with the starter radio as long as we can, buying receivers for it as needed. I'm with John Buckner though. A quality plane with a quality engine is a great combo that will sell, but a junk radio just kills the deal. They'd be better off selling it RxR.

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RE: The Return of the Avistar RTF - Now it's Elite! - 9/24/2012 6:27 AM   
ratshooter


 

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Status: offline 		Dropping the Avistar for this plane makes no sense at all. The "Elite" has a 22-24oz wing loading? And this is promoted as a trainer plane? Sorry but I don't buy it. I would prefer the Avistar to this model. I know where a couple are for sale. Maybe I should pick one up.

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RE: The Return of the Avistar RTF - Now it's Elite! - 10/5/2012 4:49 AM   
Mr67Stang



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Status: offline 		I imagine this plane will be fun "shooting touch and go's" with those flaps operational. The ARF just became available today so I went ahead and ordered it for $140. While I'm sure the equipment the RTF comes with is adiquate, I just don't need it. I have a .55ax, TT .46 and a YS .63 that have been sitting on the bench for some time and enough standard servos to automate everything in my house. The plane will be to my house before I am back from my deployment so it will be a good one for me to warm up my thumbs after six months of not flying.

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RE: The Return of the Avistar RTF - Now it's Elite! - 10/5/2012 3:58 PM   
jester_s1


 

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Status: offline 		I'll have to agree with Ratshooter on the move from regular to Elite. They took what is arguably the best trainer ever made and added an extra $60 to the start up cost (when you figure in the price increase and two extra servos) that adds no value to the plane for beginners. New pilots are a big part of the Avistar's sales, so I really have to wonder if the flaps will hurt the plane's sales. How long do you guys figure it will be before Tower puts out a catalog with "Return of the Avistar!" on the cover?

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RE: The Return of the Avistar RTF - Now it's Elite! - 10/5/2012 6:33 PM   
Mr67Stang



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Status: offline 		GP's advertising is not aiming this plane at the "beginner". They are saying it is more of a second step after your trainer. I imagine it would still make a perfectly good primary trainer that will keep the interest of the beginner longer. I would still highly recomend a buddy box instruction to any beginner but we do that with flat bottom wing 3 channel trainers too. I guess this is the trainer for the guy that wants to spend a little more up front.


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RE: The Return of the Avistar RTF - Now it's Elite! - 10/6/2012 12:15 AM   
jester_s1


 

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Status: offline 		With that angle, I'd say the Avistar doesn't have much of a market. The second plane spot is best filled with an Ugly Stick or one of its derivatives, or maybe a Tiger 2. The Avistar, IMO, is a little too trainer like to serve well as a second plane, and with the flaps it's too sporty to be a good trainer.

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RE: The Return of the Avistar RTF - Now it's Elite! - 10/6/2012 12:20 PM   
Mr67Stang



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Status: offline 		Perhaps, I noticed it does utilize more advanced aircraft set up posibilities than a traditional trainer. For example, it has a servo for each aileron and a servo for each flap making "Crow" a posibility that I will explore. It definately wont be for everybody and maybey the market corner will be small but just the same, it is just what I want for a Sunday flyer. It's basic trainer capability combined with it's more advanced setup potential will make for a fun plane if it still handles like the original Avistar. Thus making it the value of two planes for a beginner. I still agree that they paired the wrong radio with it in the RTF package though.

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RE: The Return of the Avistar RTF - Now it's Elite! - 10/6/2012 3:20 PM   
jester_s1


 

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Status: offline 		My thought in making that comment was that 1) most beginners are going to skip a plane that requires they buy 3 extra servos and costs more already, and 2) there is a lot to commend a strip aileron setup for beginning pilots. Sure, there will be buyers who aren't beginners who get one because they want something to put around the field with, but the Avistar has mostly been sold as a primary trainer before. I'll still say they've lost that market with the change and will hurt sales as a result.

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RE: The Return of the Avistar RTF - Now it's Elite! - 10/7/2012 8:03 PM   
1320Fastback



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Status: offline 		I'll take my 10 year old one anyday.

Why did they change the fuse?

Looks like a nexstar now.

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