critterhunter

I need some advice on buying a second plane. Love the Challenger but would now like to get plane number two. I'd like to stay within the Horizon/Parkzone line and am trying to decide on either an Extreme, F27, or that new Mustang they are coming out with. I'm guessing the Extreme would just be a bigger version of the Challenger and not as "different" to fly than the F27. While not too important, it would be nice to "build" a plane that can use what I already have for the Challenger to save money, rather than buying a whole package. It would be nice if I could use the Challenger's car charger, batteries, or controller with the new plane. Now, correct me if I'm wrong but the F27 will not work with my TX in the F27's advance mode. However, the F27 comes standard with the "Pro" 8V battery pack that the Challenger uses? I also understand the F27 has an even higher voltage pack that you can buy for it. Will the Challenger car charger charge it as well? Onto the Extreme. The way I understand it the Challenger controller works fine with the Extreme and will still allow both modes of operation? However, I think the extreme uses bigger batteries that feature different connectors and will not work with the Challenger batteries? Finally, will my challenger charger charge the Extreme's packs or will I need a new charger for it. I realize these are a lot of questions but I'm trying to figure the part-to-cost ratio to see which is more cheaper to piece together. Also need related part prices to "build" the plane if anybody can post them.

Finally, I'm considering lipos for the Challenger. Dcoes anybody know if the full throttle battery voltage drop feature on the Challenger will protect a lipo? And where can I get good lipos and a cheap charger for it?
Thanks in advance.

critterhunter

Well, picked up a Stryker yesterday. There was a semi-strong wind blowing and the plane kept hooking left on me. After trimming it out several times I still couldn't get it flying right. Launching into the wind with full throttle the plane would climb to a verticle stall, then fly lousy and crash as I turned from the wind. Broke the nose and some of the styrophoam off where the fins slide in. Also had the prop strip. I'm hoping it was the wind because I couldn't get this thing to trim right no matter what. Tonight I try again as it's calmer. I have a buddy who has the stryker (he has no skill level) and he gave up on his. When I told him I bought one he kept saying "those planes are junk". I tried to explain to him that everybody on the web loves the Stryker and we just don't have ours flying right yet (and the skill level to do so) he wasn't convinced. Really hoping I can get her flying right tonight so I can tell him "I told you so". Seems parts are hard to come by right now. The local hobby store didn't have any noses or props in stock and they said they are back ordered. Luckily he sold me a prop off a display model and I can always tape up the nose tonight for another flight. I thought the motor was bad when it started making strange noises but it turned out to be the prop slipping.

Onto the Extreme. If you already have a Challenger you can use you're controller and charger to save money and piece together an Extreme. Here's the run down on prices at my local store: Body with electronics $50, Wing $20, Tail $15, Prop $4, Canopy $4, Motor (I think it comes with the $50 body/electronic combo so no need to buy it extra, but it's $20), Landing Gear (No real need for this) $5, Battery $30. So, for roughly $120 you can build an Extreme and save by using your Challenger charger and TX. You can also buy a few more batteries and bring it up to the cost of a complete Extreme package but have the two extra battery packs. This will be my next project this spring.

MR TBONE

K, I prob can help a bit.

First, I would skip the Extreme, as you'll find it just a big version of the Challenger. With a good 7 cell pack and some mods, the challnger prob will be more fun to fly, more agile, and cheaper to repair. You would have to buy all new batteries for it also, as it uses a larger pack. Trust me, cool plane, but if you already gots a challenger, skip the extreme.

Second, the radios for the V-tail planes and the elevons planes (f-27) will not easily switch. The good news is that the battery from the challanger (7 cell) work well in the stryker, therefore allowing them to be used in both. I personally take the f-27 out on still days and on windy days break out the Aerobird, as it can handle just about anything short of a monsoon.

Thirdly, the voltage cutof in the Aerobird is too low, and will over dump a lipo, ruining it forever. Don't do it. Plus, the larger currant will prob heat up the motor and melt the frame. You can put in the Stryker 480 motor , or my recommendation is to put in the 400 size Trick Zagi reverse timed motor ($10) in the Aerobird, and watch how much more power you get. If you want to put in a lipo pack in the stryker, an easy mod is to buy a esc/reciever for the new p-51d, and put it in, as it has a built in lipo cutoff, and only is 27 bucks. I just ordered on myself thru Hobby Zone for that same reason. Just make sure you get the right frequency.

Fourthly, the new P-51d from Parkzone is a good choice, because it is lipo ready, and has a radio that can go between v-tail and elevons if you want to remove it, or install reciever/esc in other 3 channel plains (this could be done in the Aerobird with some mods).

I personally bought a Stryker, and found it way to advanced for a beginner. I then bought the Challenger and trained on that for a few months until I felt stryker ready. Otherwise I would havel spent all my time making repairs. I also used this free program with this model plugin
http://gunnerson.homestead.com/files/fms_models.htm
which work well as a F-27 trainer.

Hope this helps

critterhunter

Good info...I'm still not getting my Stryker to perform. Yesterday I managed two to four minute flights but the plane doesn't want to gain altitude. It will fly straight (not drop the nose so the elevation seems right) but doesn't seem to have enough power to climb very well. I even swapped in a new motor with no difference. Then one of the servos stripped so I picked one up today. Is a little tape and CA glue too much for this plane and causing it to not want to climb? Even trim adjustments don't help. It just seems to not have the power to climb. This is using 7 cell packs fully topped off. I am amazed at how well it takes crashes. A bit of tape or glue on the nose and a little glue at the back were the fins bust that part of the body off by the motor and she's good to go. We even tried two different props with no better results. Oh, and I'm hoping it was a bad servo and not the internal controls. If the servo constantly makes noise and doesn't want to move it's stripped gears, right? Guess I'll find out tonight. One plus about buying the Stryker is the extra car charger and yet another battery to use with the Challenger and/or Stryker. I'm up to 4 now.

Onto the Challenger. Check the E-Flight Power Sources section. There are safe ways to run a lipo in the Challenger. Still plan too. Good info on the extra motors for it! The internals will handle that one you're talking about? I'd like to also add some kind of performance prop like carbon fiber for more power. Part #s and other info on engine/prop models needed! Thanks again.

More research into the Extreme. The Challenger charger will charge it but it will take longer because the Extreme charger is like 1.8amp while the Challenger's is around 1.2 to 1.5 I think. You'll also either have to add the Extreme plug to the charger or swap over the Extreme's battery plug to the Challenger's type. Two types wired to the engine of the charger will also solve the problem. Then again, an Extreme charger is only like $23. I'm going to piece it together because I do like the plane. It will also carry a camera better than the Challenger. Don't get me wrong, I love the Challenger but the more planes the better! Also like the longer run times possible with the extreme and proper aftermarket nihms.

Glacier Girl

My Feedback: (4)

The Stryker is very sensitive to proper CG. Did you check it? Also, if the motor is not correctly aligned, can cause a lack of climb or porpoising, where it wants to keep nosing up.
Lastly do not trust included charger to actually fully charge the packs. My own experiance and others have show it false peaks often, and you go out with a less than fully charged pack.
Which will definitely cause a lack of power to climb. Finally, the servo failure is very common, normally breaks a gear in the pack on not so perfect landings. Most of us have switched out to better elecs. The Stryker is like night and day with good servos/ Rx's, and a fully charged battery.
BJ
p.s. You're more than welcome to come to the Stryker forum, we'll be more than happy to get you up and flying. We've all been there and done that, and are happy to pass on good info.

drunkenbushman

Man All this has kinda turned me off the stryker now, i thought it would be an easy plane to fly.

critterhunter

Don't give up on the Stryker. Despite my problems (I've only had it out three times) 99% of the messages I've read have been very positive on it. My only complaint is that the bodies are in such demand (many people are buying them to install custom electronics) that I can't find a body or nose for it. Even had to buy the prop off of a display model. Still, she glues together well. I'm going to strip off all the extra tape I've put on her and re-build in hopes of getting her to fly. Right now it's like a brick. I'm using the low rates mode with the top horn hole. It just doesn't seem to want to get more than twenty or thirty feet up and at that height I soon crash as I don't have time to recover.

Fisher

critterhunter,

Sorry you are having a difficult time getting your Stryker to climb. I used the TX from my Slo-V and bought all the other parts to put together a stock Stryker. I did break my motor in by running it on a D cell in water. Many posts indicate that this will give you the most power. I have also found that the plane really needs to be flying into the wind on take off or it will try to turn into the wind on its own or just loose lift and drop. Once it gets up to speed and gains altitude it is a whole new world. I kept trying to adjust trim based on how it flew but I just kept coming back to visual alignment. That seems to work for all conditions.

Stay with it. It will be worth it.

critterhunter

Good info, thanks to everybody. I know about the wind launching directions based on the Challenger I fly and reading about the Stryker. Since I've tried two different motors I don't think that's the problem. Also, from what I've read these cheap canned motors don't break in well even ran four hours, water or not, and then checking the internals. Still, I did run it at very little throttle for about 20 minutes to do something. Now, I understand that this isn't exactly good eiter as the ESC doesn't put out a constant DC current to the motor, where as a D battery will. Either way, I didn't bother based on what I've read on cheap motors.

I know that included peak charger for the Challenger and F27 isn't exactly top shelf, but I've never had any trouble charging 7.2 volt 900ma 6 cells, 8.4volt 900 7 cells, and even 8.4v 1100ma 7 cells with it. I even check them once in a while after a peak with the volt meter and the voltage is always 1, 2, or around 3 volts higher than the pack rating. Still, a good charger will be in order that might increase flight times. I'm considering that Pirahna (sp?) that runs around $50. It features an LCD screen and about ten battery memory settings. Any advice on a charger that will do up to 8 cell nihms from a Challenger to an Extreme?

I believe now that the cog is wrong on the Stryker after reading around. Now, correct me if I'm wrong....measure 6 and 1/2" from the end of the body (at the motor) forward. This is where the balance point shold be? And I check it by trying to ballance the plane (with pack and all installed) on two fingers in this general area? If it's off then I have to move the battery or add some weight to get her right? I've never done COG work so walk an idiot through it. Thanks.

thebackroads

On thing I realized quickly about the stryker is to set the links on the control horns to the second hole down. The top hole just doesn't give enough deflection. When I first got mine I took the hints from others, put the battery in & gave it a good toss with the throttle off. It wanted to bank slightly to the left. Adjusted the linkage, another toss, still going to the left, a little more adjustment & it went forward. When I got a chance to actually fly it, it took off nice and straight, dropped slightly then gained speed & up it went.

Then the other evening I'd gotten 3 flights in & realized it was getting a bit too dark so I was bringing it in, banked over a bit too much & nosed into the ground with the throttle off. Then last evening I went out to fly it & couldn't get any altitude over 10ft. Swapped out for a freshly charged battery thinking that might be the problem, got the same result. Examined the fuse & noticed a small crack on the underside just front of the motor mount. I'm not sure if that was causing the motor to be off the thrust line enough to matter (a slight tilt upwards?) then when I packed it up for the night & got back in my truck I noticed the charger had been bumped down to the 1.1 amp setting.

I'll have to try again with a better charged battery & if that doesn't help check the thrust angle again.

Fisher

Charging the battery on a lower amperage setting will only make it take longer. It does not mean that your battery is not fully charged when the charger is done. In fact your battery should have a better charge at a slower rate.

critterhunter,

Unless your Stryker fuse is very old you should have two molded in circles or recesses in the bottom of the two finger holds you grab when you launch it. Those two circles mark the center of balance. If your plane has those, just balance it right there with battery and all on board. I am not sure just how important the COB is since I flew mine around missing half of the nose. It just wanted to climb the whole time even without the screw they put in the nose to add weight. They must have a fixed weight specified for the nose and they weigh them when they come out of the mold and add a screw if the nose is too light.