Capiche

Considering getting back on the slops after a long time off.

Saw a review on the LUNA (equiv is MAKIS in USA) and it all sounds ideal for a good lifter, aerobat, good speed model.

Looking for a mouldie too !

Any comments / experience / comparison to others ? Suggestions welcome too around following parameters;

about 2M span
Rudder control needed (for aero)
composite
easy assy

thanks all !
(first time Ive posted here !)

Charles1956

Two of us are very tempted by this model, have you had any feedback yet? I have read the review in QEFI........ but is it real?
Charles

Colin Wavell

"The highly capable and competitive friend" referred to in the Q&EFI review is Andy Ellison of pylon racing fame. I would say he is one of the most critical flyers writing in the model press today and if he says its good it should be good. I believe he did a review of it himself in RCM&E. Looks like a goodun to me I wish I had a spare £210 plus postage in UK at the moment

slopetrashuk

Hoh! Slow down Colin - you're making me blush.
Luna eh?
Good cheap toy. About the best for the money that I've had my hands on. It has a few problems but none of them flying. It does only cost £200 afterall!!!
Difficult to get though.

Here's an update. Slopeblasters is defunct. - Thats life. However, you can get this toy as the Makis from the USA (Hobby Lobby) and also now at a new outlet in Hong Kong : http://www.aero-fever.com/product_in...u41v4i3eu3t5u6

That said, rumours are rife that T9 Hobbysports in the UK are trying to source. website here: http://www.t9hobbysport.com/

Drop them a line.

Best regards

Andy Ellison

Charles1956

Thamks guys for the feedback, after an awesome afternoon of super lift at Beachy head on Sunday two of us have succumbed, and have ordered one each from Hobby Lobby. It does help having a globetrotting like minded aeronut who just happens to be going stateside! Of course it also remains to be seen how much of it comes off the baggage carousel at heathrow!
I am very interested to hear what the weaknesses are, in case a few building mods are in order?
We were thinking along the lines of hitec hs81mg servos; do you know of anything better for the same sort of cost? Or similar but cheaper? The hs81's that I have have never given me problems, however I dont think they are that good; mine jitter a bit, and have some slop in the gears.
Cheers

graffitti

Yea, the way Dorling wrote the report I started to think that he didn't actually own a model but was writing about Andys.....

It was very vague.....to say the least......

I contacted SlopeBlasters and was told that 'supply problems' were the reason that it was no longer available through them....shame....[&:]

slopetrashuk

He does have one (but it's still not finished!). He was writing about mine of course and he did fly it extensively as part of his review.
You wouldn't catch me doing that though.....

Weaknesses?
Captive nuts in the wing seat have a habit of popping off so add extra glue around them before you stick the ballast tube in. Thats about it to be honest so far apart from the stuff mentioned in my own (not vague) review.
A PM with your e mail adress gets you a copy.

Andy Ellison

graffitti

Well Andy, I am even more disgusted than when I read the review and 'thought' Dorling was 'Jackanorying'.........

Glad to see that you are somewhat more trustworthy....so did he just 'plagiarise' your review......??

The plane may or may not be a good'un but when we buy a magazine we are paying for the right to a true and honest review...... some of us base our deciscions to spend a lot of money on what we write in the magazines.....and apparently he hasn't even finished the aircraft.........

A 'ten minute flight' with someone elses aircraft does not constitute a full review......living with it and flying it for a 'period' of time does....how do I know.....I have the reviewers guidance notes from RCMW/QFI........you get them when you sign up....!!

Anyway, I digress, this is not the place for a discussion on the rights and wrongs of Mr Dawdlings imagination......

slopetrashuk

Mmm? I think that's a little off the mark to be honest......
There were three Luna's constructed side by side on the same work benches when the review pics were taken and mine was the first to fly.
He didn't plagiarise my review at all and wrote his independantly. Tru, some of the photos are of my model but aside from minor colour differences they are the same.
To my recollection Steve flew my model for quite a while but saw me trying to rip the wings off it on his big northwesterly slope on the Lleyn. I think Steves review is fair but it's not the way I go about doing mine.

graffitti

Bang on if you ask me.....

You yourself say it is not the way you would go about writing a review. .....and if three models were all built together how come by your own admission ....Dorlings is still not finished'

The man is in print in every magazine, an expert in many and diverse areas of our hobby, a position of 'power' that demands greater trust and honesty........he owed us and himslef more.....

I know from experience that when the pressure of numerous deadlines starts to pile up, the temptation to 'cut corners' is overwhelming......the trouble is you cant just sleep 'a little bit' with the devil....

Fortunately, readers are not stupid and it seems that the 'bizarre direction' in review was noticed hence the quote from earlier.......'but is it real'....

Reviewers are often 'not trusted'.......you know the reasons...free models....being paid by the page....advertising revenue...etc......so Dorling has shot himself by his own 'bizarre' way of writing this review......he can no longer be trusted.....

As a reviewer you should be whiter than white, more honest than honest, cleaner than clean.....Ray Jones once told me.......'if you stick your head above the parapet there will always be someone waiting to knock it off.......'

Headless man spotted in Wales.......!!

slopetrashuk

You know, I've been thinking about this today when Steve passed me the copy of your e mail to Mike Nott.
I do have issues with the way some people go about their reviews and I don't want to be seen to be condoning the QEFI. I'm not a great fan of the mag to be honest with you since all the electric came in. Spoiled the best mag on the market that did.
Anyway it does wind me up when I see the reviews that the editor sometimes puts out with not one single flying photograph of the model.
The electric P-47 thunderbolt from a few issues back is one that springs to mind. Not a single flyng shot except those photoshopped against a perfick sky background.
Not much credibility there........
I've never seen that in any other mag.

Did you see my review of the Luna from RCM&E?
A pm with your e mail address will get you a copy by return.

All the best for Xmas.

Andy

graffitti

Not me, I am afraid......all I have to say on the matter is said above, or below as I write this reply

You know, like you, i have also thought about this and tried to decide if I have 'gone off one one' disproportunately......well I don't think I have...

You see, part of the QEFI review states that the model...'had a sloppy feel of the carbon tail pivot-easily cured with a little CA no doubt'.........Wll was it or not? Did the cyano fix the problem for one flight, two flights, permanently, or half a flight then the model was lost on a high speed run due to flutter?? You see, because the Dorling machine was not flown we just don't know!!

It's of no use saying another he had seen was Ok and that this was peculiar to his as the one he had DID have this problem.....!!

Now, if I buy one, am I going to get a good one?? Is my pivot going to be loose?? If I fix it with cyano will it be a permanent fix or will it fail.....you see I just don't know.....and if there are good and bad ones I may get a bad one and be stuck with the problem......

And my big problem with the review is that it is inferred that you then gave the review model, cyano fix and all, to put the review model through its paces and give it a real workout........but now we find out that you flew your own model, not the Dorling Cyano Special.....it's inferred that the Dawdling cyano tail withstood screaming vertical dives.....when it didn't. It was all cosy at home in the workshop....!! Still!!!

Thwe flying part of the review is pathetically short....just a few lines really.....

How does it behave at slow speed, does it flick, how does it handle crow, what about ballast, is it strong enough to carry it, and so on....

This part glosses over the major parts of a flying review, obviously we know why now...and doesn't answer any of the basic questions I want answered.!!

It is so difficult to write a review as just an average sort of guy, as you have to have an attitude of complete unbiased opinion and that takes some doing.....

If you have not shelled out your own hard-earned, and have reviewed model after model after model you can lose track of the realities of cost and value for money......

And if you have bought the model and are preparing the review to offset your costs, then that may colour the review......bad reviews often do not make press.....even nowadays when the industry is 'more professional' and less cottage industry. In the 'old days' one bad review could put a 'cottage industry' manufacturer out of business so bad reviews got 'pulled'.....

Nowadays with bigger more professional companies 'global' sometimes, this is less likely....but you still rarely see a 'bad' review........

The oft-quoted reason for that is 'I only review good models'.....well how do you know that untill it has ben reviewed......??

No idea what the answer is....

Re the QEFI thing......guess you're not wanting to write for them then.....

Seriously, as a commercial concern I guess they do find it difficult to ignore the relentless push of the electric monster...

Pop into your local model shop and try to buy a glider kit..........not a chance........then 'feast' your eyes on the overwhelming number of electric models, planes, helicopters......they're everywhere.....

You do realise now that you have spoilt my read of any magazine now.......I had no idea that those pictures were photoshopped......I just thought that they had better weather than I get round here........!!

Yes, I read your review. I liked it, but then you had built and flown your own model (I hope).....

Personally, I don't think any review should be written untill the model and pilot have an 'awful' lot of hours together...but that will never happen....what's the expression....?? Publish and be damned...?? No...it's publish and get paid....next model please.....

PM SENT........

slopetrashuk

Steve's last name is Dorling. If you have an issue with what he wrote re the Luna you should take the matter up with him directly. I'm neither condoning nor condemning him here - His review not mine.......
To my knowledge he does not use RCU. His e mail address is however at the end of his slope columns, alternatively I can send it you via PM if you wish to progress it further.
Of course you could always pick up a decent magazine from one of the other publishing houses and read about proper slope soaring.......

slopetrashuk

I think you have a mis-informed opinion of kit reviews and the cost to the reviewer in equipment and time. Kit for words is about it. Small recompense when you write about a £200 quid glider requiring £250+ quids worth of gear to put it in the air (cost to the reviewer) and a grands worth of camera to secure the photographs. Not to mention come the flying, sourcing a pilot capable of putting it in the right place at the right time up a NW facing hill on a sunny day in resonable wind conditions. Often requiring a couple of days off work to achieve.

Publish and get paid? I wish. The RCM&E magazine offers me kits to review because I'm a cynical long time consumer and I know what I like and I know what I don't. Saying it has resulted in advertisig being pulled from the mag on a number of occassions but that doesn;t affect me so what do I care?
I can also wield a mean camera and take the time to do it right. I don't take on a model I'm not interested in and I don't take on models that require me to purchase lots of gear unless I'm really interested.

Publish and get paid? That will be the day.....

Andy Ellison

graffitti

Never could spell...now corrected......

OK, but until you dropped the bombshell his still wasn't finished no one knew........

There are no good magazines........

graffitti

I stand corrected, you are a good hearted philanthropist........me I preferred to insist on kit, engine, gear and pay before I wrote anything.....afraid I am retired and already got the camera.......cynical money driven so and so me...!!

That was smillied......

enginetorque

Now then - why not ask me directly (given that I have the "integrity" to publish my email addy for this very reason) rather than hide behind a faceless psyuedonym on an internet forum - tut tut - very poor show old bean................

graffitti

...so 'enginetorque' is not faceless either....??

I SEE YOU ARE ONLINE AND VIEWING THIS THREAD AT THE MOMENT SO...PM SENT....AND...

Simple yes/no questions then....

Was your model built and flyable at the time of the submission of the review....??

Had you flown your model at the time the review was submitted...??

Is your model finished now...??

Has your model flown now....??

Remember, simple yes or no answers only......

graffitti

well....'old bean'.....

you're still online, viewing this thread, and I am still awaiting your replies.....

you've had thirty minutes to think about it......do you need a clue....??

enginetorque

I rather think you are missing the point - or maybe not depending on your point of view - three Lunas were used as a basis for my "review//overview" depending on your interpretation. You are free to come and see mine in the air whenever you are passing - of course its finished and flying, why wouldn't it be? It's a moulded model - ie NO BUILDING - my radio fit is identical so how different can they be???

Now then (Mr Cynical) - free models, no not really - I paid full retail for my Luna and then chucked a couple of hundred quids worth of gear into it, took pics - wrote words - went out in wind and weather etc etc (well I'm sure you understand the drill....) so why bother? Bloody good question - to "alert" the great and good to the existance of the aeroplane - why? So that you might enjoy owning and flying one - why? Because its a HOBBY and I am enthusiastic about it.

Kit reveiws explained (in the shell of a nut) then - falling into (at least) three distinct categories (in my view)

1 They are pure advertorial - ie the supplier "punts" them out to the trade and hopes to sell a bucket load from their investment - these usually comprise of a 30 quid box that needs 300 quids worth of investment from the reviewer, plus a many hours, days and weeks of effort and time.

2 They are journalistic foils for the contributor to use as added interest for a magazine, providing a subject of interest which adds content to the mag in question

3 They are included to give potential owners an idea of whats out there on the market so that an informed choice can be made twixt model A and model B etc

SO.....which box would you put myLuna article in then? (if it served none then say so - I'll understand - I can live with that)!

Never see a bad kit review do you? HAH - I have written a few in my time and should you want an example of same, take a butchers on the Jamara website, where my six page and cover featured AMI review of their Pitts Special is included in full (to my amazement) where it gets a darn good slating and then some - Jamara to their credit "ran with it" (not all distributors would......)!

Bottom line - the Luna is SPLENDID - if you buy one then you can't fail to be impressed - it's a bargain and as I bought mine for proper money and Slopeblasters are no longer dealing, I don't think I can be accused of having an axe to grind. If it was "cack" then it would have been described as "cack" (it may or may not have made print but "cack" would have left the PC from this end of the chain)! The words on the printed page of course go through an editorial filter chain.

PS your "snipe" concerning the contribution I make to mags various seems a little unwarranted - I have been "sodding about" in this game for nearly half a century, which may or may not qualify me to pontificate in print, given that one can never please all of the people all of the time. What I can say is that I am no "desk flier" as I certainly fly what I write (like out in 60mph on the slope a couple of weeks back for instance) and have dabbled in all aspects of this hobby at some point in my modelling lifetime, from the engineering and electronics aspects to construction, aerodynamics - model design, competition - gliders - heli - slope - indoor - scratch builds - contol line - free flight - single channel and so on blah blah blah ad infinitum. Never too old to learn of course and happy to receive your tips!

It's a Hobby (innit.............)?

PPS Online doesn't always mean "at PC" -


well....'old bean'.....

you're still online, viewing this thread, and I am still awaiting your replies.....

you've had thirty minutes to think about it......do you need a clue....??

graffitti

So strip away all the rhetoric and thats

No, No, Yes and Yes.......

although your mate slopetrashuk says yours still isn't finished......so should that be

No, No, No and No.....??

evan-RCU

View from outside the box- this has gotten out of hand, stop the public bashing and take it indoors.

slopetrashuk

Do I know you Graffitti? You aluded earlier to a liason with Ray Jones.

Just wondering....

Andy

pauld109

I just arrived at this site so I could find out more about the luna. Seems like I got on a scrib's forum. Can we here about the luna from OTHERS?

slopetrashuk

They're as rare as hens teeth Paul. Try RCGroups and search under Makis.

Andy