jrpav1
Posts: 190
Joined: 9/11/2003
From: New Milford,
CT, USA
Status: offline
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Guys,
I'm reviewing one of these (Fliton Element 30) for Fly RC magazine right now. When I find out which issue it will be in I'll let you know. The plane is almost built so I should be flying it this weekend. I fly Advanced in competition but I'm also working on the Masters sequence in practice so I should be able to give the plane a pretty good workout. Some quick thoughts for some of you guys who haven't seen this plane yet but are considering buying one:
1. Fliton airplanes are typically very light. This one is no exception. I say this because you have to consider this at all times. Light airplanes are great but don't expect them to take abuse. They're built to fly, not crash or survive altercations with walls, floors car doors, or other immovable objects. I LOVE light airplanes but I treat them with respect. If you're rough on equipment and / or don't know how to enter a snap correctly you WILL break this airplane.
2. The covering is made by World Models.
3. The included hardware is good. You don't need to replace anything unless you have a preference. I prefer DuBro E-Z connectors over the ones in the kit but that's just my personal preference.
4. The elevator is a joined 2-piece unit with one pushrod. The servo is mounted at the rear. The joiner is a bamboo dowel. I had to use this method since I'm doing a review. I'll let you know how it works. I'm skeptical.
5. I'm going with an Axi 2820/10 on 3S. I want to keep it light. 3S means I don't need a BEC. Like I said, I want to keep it light. I'm a little concerned about current draw with the 3S setup. We'll see. I'll post details when I see how it works.
6. The plane is bigger than it looks in the promo pictures but not really big enough for serious competition except maybe for Sportsman. Don't get me wrong, it's probably capable of flying Masters but you'll have to fly it in pretty close and it will feel the wind more than a bigger ship (size does matter). Depending on how well it flies it looks to be perfect for it's intended purpose: a practice tool for Pattern pilots.
7. Someone suggested a 1KW power system for this plane. Why? Maybe if you want over the top "3D" capability but that's not really what this plane is for. I flew a 1KW system in an Oxalys 50 and it was plenty for Pattern work. All you'll do is make the plane heavy and mow the lawn with that huge prop. <LOL>
8. The servo bays are set up for HiTec HS-81's. They fit perfectly - that's what I used.
9. The canopy is held on with rare earth magnets. It's really easy to get at the batteries and electronics so you don't have to cut a hole for the switch if you don't want to.
10. The wheel pants are mounted to the gear leg with one screw. If you have a rough field you can remove them quickly. The wheels have an obnoxious green center! After the review I'll fix this. <VBG>
I'll let you know how it flies when I get some stick time. It looks like a 2-meter ship but it's small enough to bring to work every day so you can practice on lunch hour. I hope it flies as good as it looks.
John Pavlick
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All Forums >> Electric Aircraft Universe >> Electric Pattern Aircraft >> RE: New Fliton Element 30 F3A plane! 
RE: New Fliton Element 30 F3A plane! - 
I do have 3 sets of 4s 2170's and one brand new 4s 2200. I don't want to fry them, mabey I should give some thought about a new motor?
Used my handy dandy Craftsman 
