bigedmustafa

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I got my Thunder Tiger Imagine 50 ARF from my local hobby store today, I think it's going to be a terrific first pattern plane. The covering on it is beautiful, and Thunder Tiger included a ton of extras with it like a high quality spinner, pilot figure, and even an instrument panel decal. I have no idea why this model isn't more readily available, the only place I've seen it available online is at http://www.thundertiger4u.com

If this thing flies half as good as it looks, they should be flying off the shelves. Has anyone else out there built and flown an Imagine 50 yet? There are two very good write-ups in the User Reviews section on it, but I haven't read a peep about it here in the forums.

xcead

what engine are you giong to use?
can you tell us the wing span, length, weight
thanks

Kema

I think that this plane is out of production and supply lasts until all sold out from local dealers. A friend of mine has this plane with YS 63 and that's a perfect engine for this plane.

bigedmustafa

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Thunder Tiger Imagine 50 Specifications:

Wingspan 54" (138cm)
Length 55" (140cm)
Wing Area 554 sq in (35.7dm2)
Weight 5.5 to 5.75 lbs. (2.4~2.7kg)
Engine: .46 to .61 cu in 2-stroke or .52 to .72 4-stroke
Radio: 4-channel with 5 servos

xcead: I am probably going to purchase a .70 4-stroke to fly it with. A YS .63 would indeed be a perfect fit as Kema suggested, but buying an O.S. Max .70 4-stroke for $70 less is too tempting I'm afraid.

Kema: it's interesting that you heard this ARF was end-of-lifed, I was under the impression that it was new (at least to North America). My hobby dealer got it for far less money than I was expecting, though, so perhaps it will be going away soon.

Kema

Well I think that the plane was commonly available couple of years ago. You cant find it from TT's catalog anymore, but there is not a direct replacement for Imagine 50 from TT. I tried to buy same plane summer 2005, but it was not available anymore.

Maybe they are starting production again? Reduced price however indicates out-of-production assumption.

bigedmustafa

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A quick google of the name Tsugutaka Yoshioka turned up a Model Airplane News review of the Imagine 50 from the August 2003 issue, so it's definitely older than I'd originally thought. If this ARF is cancelled and Ace Hobby is trying to dump them, I can't believe it would be all that hard to clear them out. The Imagine 50 is a beautiful plane by just about any standard.

Jarsu

I've had the same plane for about 1½ yrs now. With the YS 63 as Kema mentioned, it's a really nice plane to fly, and good for entry-level pattern. And it really has got enough power Sure, it will fly with an OS 70 as well. There's one thing you should do with the plane: apply some epoxy glue around the square plywood blocks that hold the landing gear wires in place, otherwise they will get loose after some time. Come to think of it, the best thing to do would be to replace the wire landing gear with some carbon fiber or glass fiber gear right away. Also the stock horns are quite soft, stiffer ones will give you better control response and reduced chance of flutter.

sigrun

There have been a couple of mentions from time to time. The TT Imagine 50 came up in brief discussion during a recommendation for an initial Sportsman pattern plane thread a year or so ago. Though a solid one, it's not a popular choice.

I think you hit the nail on the head with, "the only place I've seen it available".

From all reports a great flying model and a good looking one. Plus being from Thiunder Tiger undoubtedly a decent quality one. But countering its general popularity in the field against the bevy of alternatives are the following. It's not easily obtainable exacerbated by the fact that it doesn't have any sort of a target demographic user awareness profile through either being on the shelf or common at the field, and it's not promoted through advertising and marketing promotion. The other three factors working against it are simply the plethoria of equally good alternatives, its price which like Kyoshos similar sized Majestic, is simply too high to compete against the likes of the latest World Model or CM Pro similar alternative offerings. And though a minor niggle, its wire U/C which though functional, would IMO be a decider for many in its target buyer group in that it's cosmetically offputting when compared to the more attractive U/C legs accompanying the alternatives, all of which now pretty much now have the look of or externally resemble miniature versions of contemporary Expert class pattern ships.

bigedmustafa

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Well, I'm glad I got my hands on one in any event. I have a Thunder Tiger Tiger Stick .40 and a pair of the EP Profile series foamies (a Giles 202 and a Christen Eagle Bipe) that I've been thrilled with so far. Thunder Tiger's high quality ARFs are worth the extra effort it seems to take to find them. My Imagine 50 will undoubtedly be another winner, I just need to decide on a powerplant for it.

I have an O.S. Max .46 FXi that I'm not using on anything, but it seems like a shame to saddle this beautiful plane with only the barest minimum of engines. ACE Hobby's customer service department mentioned in their engines forum that their new F-75s four-stroke is getting pushed back to a summer delivery date at the earliest. A YS .63 or Saito .65 four stroke might be a good fit. Anybody ever fly one of these with a Thunder Tiger F-54s four stroke? I really thought it would be nice to fly this with a Thunder Tiger engine on it...

Jarsu

With a Saito 65 the plane would be most probably underpowered, if you want a Saito it should be .82 for that plane, it is quite equal to YS 63 in power (you have to remember that YS is supercharged). The plane is really enjoyable to fly when you have lots of power, too little power limits the planes capabilities quite much in my opinion (I used to have a Super custom = Magnum 52 2-stroke in my plane and it was ok for basic flying, but not for anything like long uplines).

bigedmustafa

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What would you think about powering the Imagine 50 with either a TT Pro .61 or an O.S. Max FS-70 II? For some reason I'm not prepared to part with $250 for a motor at this time.

Jarsu

-> bigedmustafa

At least the 61-size TT would be enough since the peak rpm with eg. a 12x7 or 13x6 prop should be quite much the same as in a YS 63. I can't comment on the OS 70 as I have no info on that engine.

bigedmustafa

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Finally decided on a Saito FA-72, my favorite local hobby store had one in stock.

sigrun

Does that mean you've bought already it? Ouch ..that must've caused some $$$ pain.

If not, consider this.

Even if yours ended up heavyish at the max spec gross of 2.7kg, given that weight and wing loading, an OS 46AX or TTPro46 would still adequately power the Imagine through Sportsman. If you only want the Imagine for Sportsman, or as a casual 'competitor' in Avanced, depending upon your preference a long stroke conservatively timed Irvine .53, conservatively timed Enya CX50 or 50SX screamer, any of those would've provided all the vertical you'd need for either in the Imagine for a lot less fiscal pain and weight. With a lump of lead like that Saito 70 up front, you are just increasing the wing loading and decreasing the power to weight ratio for the tradeoff of a bit of torque and dictate of fashion.

But it'll do the job, and if you're a four stroke man, happy, and dollars aren't an issue....have fun.

bigedmustafa

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Yep, sigrun, I'm afraid I've already parted with $217.88 plus tax. The weight of the FA-72 is 17.6 ounces with muffler, the weight of the .46 AX is 17.2 ounces with muffler. I didn't mind spending the extra money, and I'm pretty sure I can figure out a way to balance out the extra 0.4 ounces.

sigrun

I 'fess you did surprise me with the spec of that Saito being so light in comparison with other 70 sport class four stroke deadweights. Shoulda' done my homework instead of relying upon 'General Experience'.

But like most things, there's usually a reason and price to be paid sometime. Nothin' is for free. So while you're still enjoying that smug feeling, you may as well enjoy reading this. It'll probably help with the tears later. http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=1924781 This guy is speaking from experience. Bill's belated rebuttal is hypothetical, and no disrespect to a nice guy, his anti-O.S. stance legendary.

Either way, the O.S. 46AX you chose for FA-72 most favourable comparison was the worst case P:W ratio cost effective example, with an Irvine .53 the pick. Coulda' bought the .Irvine without muffler from JE sans VAT (tax) which'd pay for that lightweight Simline silencer of about the same weight as that Saitos, with the obvious worthwhile weight saving BUT importantly with a massive 42% increase in HP over the FA-72. Pattern is performance orientated with reliability a keystone. Can you say S I G N I F I C A N T L Y better power to weight ratio and 'Major Vertical'? And though I understand cost is unimportant to you, at half the cost for lighter, more powerful powerplant which hasn't been pruned to fragility in the effort to reduce its weight to have a hope.

Enjoy! [8D]

Jarsu

Is this text above "internet knowledge?" or a lesson in negativity? I can almost hear The Simpsons character Nelson saying "ha-haa". But let's go to real world experiences. I used to have a Super Custom .52 2-stroke in my Imagine, and it should be very similar in terms of power with 53-sized Irvine, and there were no signs of "Major Vertical" with that combination, until I installed a tuned pipe. Irvine 53 might well have the quoted 1.7hp, but it happens in 17krpm, and there's no way to prop a pattern style plane for that rpm. Ok, top end power will be somehow better with the Irvine in the 11-12krpm range (using something like 11x6 or 12x6), but you can swing a larger prop (for example 13x7) with the Saito -> more static pull without sacrificing top speed, which you won't need anyway with a pattern plane. Not to mention the much better throttle response of a fourstroke.
With that said, YS 63 is anyways the best choice in terms of performance for planes this size.

bigedmustafa

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No problem, sigrun. The O.S. FS-70 Surpass II was on my shopping list, my favorite LHS just didn't happen to have one. My Saito FA-72 wasn't the first RC engine I've purchased, and I doubt it will be the last. There will be time to look at other power plants down the road, for now I am confident that I purchased the right engine for what I want to do.

Dav0012

Hi, just in reply to the motors, i know its not a pattern plane due to it being the world models cap 232 46r, but i am running the os 70 fl motor and this flys quite good enough for what im doing with it anyhow, i was also considering the ys 63, but when i can get the os 70 fl for $220 cheaper, i think i'd rather hit the os, and so far its been a good reliable motor, running straight out of the box with no dead sticks.

crhammond

My Feedback: (21)

I just picked one of these up too to try my hand at {attern. I have a Saito 82 and a Saito 100 looking for new homes... the 100 pulls my 8lbs Vectorflight straight up with no issues ... I htink it's going to be way to much for the little plane. I figure the 82 will be a very nice match.

The covering and assembly is first class - they should have sold a bunch of these planes. One of the LHS guys said they fly amazingly well and could be used all the way up to advanced pattern if you wanted.

This is a nice well built cheap ARF to try pattern... maybe I'll posta few pics when mine is built.

bigedmustafa

My Feedback: (2)

Thanks, I'll look forward to seeing your pictures, crhammond!

rotorfan1

Hey there I just got this exact arf can you tell me if you had to cut out the top of the fuse to install the tail fin?If so how did ya do it?  I removed the covering per the manual and it is solid balsa under the covering. any help would be great.