Athenas Dad

Hi everyone........I'm new to the forum.
I have 2 questions.
What do you guys think of Tower Hobbies Vista EP ?
Is foam really as strong as companies portray them to be ?
Please share your opinions and comments. I am a beginner, and have little experience. I am going to stay rudder and elevator until I get experience. I will worry about ailerons when I am ready. I am presently learning on a Great Planes Fling 2 meter.
Thanks everyone !

da Rock

The Vista is a great deal. It comes with a suitable motor, esc, and prop. And it's a great thermal sailplane. And it's just over $100.

It is a 2m which is the size glider where reasonably successful thermal hunting begins. Smaller and you spend more time climbing back up again. Thermal success depends a lot on being able to cover territory looking for lift and smaller ones don't have the range.

As for foam.... some types of it really are hard to destroy, but all of them are limited by size. As they get about 2-2.5meter wingspan, their flexibility gets in the way and they wind up heavier than optimum. and it's easier to snap the fuse or wings. and harder to stay aloft and cover ground hunting lift.

da Rock

You mentioned the Fling. Hand/discus launching won't start your flight at much altitude. You'll get a lot of landing practice, but not many long flights. Thermals don't happen constantly and all over the place, especially within hunting distance of most hand launches.

Athenas Dad

The fling I have is the 2 meter as I mentioned. It is not hand launched or discuss launched, the one I have I use a up-start. Great Planes has discontinued this arf.

wagspe208

My Feedback: (1)

Correct me if I am wrong... but isn't EP "electric power". It looks as it has a built up wing....
Not EPP or whatever...(which is foam)
I will check again.
Wags

wagspe208

My Feedback: (1)

Just looked at it again. If IS built up wing, balsa fuse....
I am an old school guy and the ep vs epp confused me too...
It would be a GREAT plane as an entry.... or easy day of flying.. I would have bought one if it had ailerons!
Wags

Athenas Dad

Hey da Rock,
I know........ the Vista looks like the sailplane I am going to get.............. It's got everything I am looking for.............. but the HobbyKing Phoenix 2000 looks so awesome......

da Rock

Well I'm baffled. Tower advertises two Flings. One is a 48" span the advertise as the "Fing Hand Launch Glider" for $80. The other is the "Fling DL Discus Launch" and has a 60" span. It's about $120 for the arf. They're both in stock.

So I'm guessing there was a 3rd one. Never seen any at my 3 club fields.



whatever...... the last two times out the Vista was flown just a couple of times. Both times it hit 1000' which is my new "speck out" altitude. My eyes don't do so good nowadays and climbing until it is really a speck isn't a good idea. Those were this week, btw.

Aquila1954

My Feedback: (1)

If you get the vista, I would make a 2 piece wing in less you have a van or truck to put it in. Instructions tell to glue the 2 half's together. But if you want a 2 piece wing don't glue them together. A lot easier to transport.

Athenas Dad

lol.....google great planes fling 2 meter.There are only 2 now, they discontinued the 2 meter fling(yellow with blue, white, and red trim).
Buy the way, last weekend, I shattered the carbon boom on a wing tip stall landing.Its junk now.......Now I have to buy the vista or phoenix 2000.
Have a good weekend everyone !

da Rock

Two piece wings are easier to do than getting the 2 pieces lined up and glued. Simply glue the brace into one side. You might notice that just about 100% of the wing joints you see have two braces. That's easy to do too. I use a tongue depressor. Cut a couple of short tabs from one and glue the tabs to the underside of the two wing panels, as shown in the picture. Those two do the work of an additional brace yet allow some give. Like when your landing isn't so well done.

da Rock

BTW, you might not believe those tabs work.

You will after doing it. Same principle cloth S hinges relied on back in the old days.

tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

Check this link out: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2296336

jerry