I have a tribute 3D and have about 8 flights on it and it keeps breaking the balsa that acts as an elevator joiner. I have NOT crashed it. The thing keeps breaking in the air and then you can control the plane with only one elevator half, but you can tell as soon as it happens. I broke hovering this morning as I was right in front of myself and all of a sudden the half the control horn is not on started flapping. I CA'd it and it broke the next flight in a different spot. Next flight the same thing. I am none too impressed with this plane. This is my first foamy and I don't tink I will even consider the Ultimate now. I may try a Fancy Foam as I like his carbon tube elevator system. Doesn't look near as weak.

A piece of balsa is a joke. It needs a piece of hardwood. That would add about .1 ounces for crying out loud!!! Bad design. I have the brushless motor and run a GWS 11x4.7 prop. Plenty of power and great flight time with a Kokam 1500 3 cell. Just wish it would hold together so I COULD fly it more. What I have done has been enjoyable.

Anyone else seen this???

Thanks,

Norman Ross Jr.

I just bought a Fancy foam kit, and its my first 3d plane. ITS A VERY VERY NICE KIT! It goes together great, the instructions are very detailed, Mike emails you really fast, and hes a great person. I flew the plane yesterday, and it was the coolest thing that ive ever seen or did in my life.. no joke.. GET IT NOW!

When I first saw your post I thought you were a friend who just yesterday had his Tribute's elevator break in flight. He tried both CA and Expoy as a field repair, didn't work.
I showed him the carbon tube on my FancyFoam Extra's elevator, off to the hobby shop he went to get a carbon tube a replace that balsa.
Also noticed his wings flex a lot more than my FF Extra, maybe two small tubes as wing spars are not better than one big tube?

Yeah Yall newbies to foamies Mike Hammel www.Fancyfoam.com is a GREAT site and Great planes I have the Edge 540 and i have 59 flights on mine and NOTHING has broken I have went in the bushes and hit the ground only thing ive broke was the prop and that was flight 45 on it,these are great My father also has the edge 540 and the pitts of his there allll great planes best ones Ive seen....My father also has the horizion Ultimate and yeah that piece of balsa is a joke looks like dad couldnt get the 2 elevatos level completly is weck hell prolly change it to the full flying stab like our edges and stuff Good luck yall happy flying .

I fixed my tribute and put a fiberglass rod there instead and not one more problem. Except all the items I mounted with the double sided tape that came with the kit has came loose. Just won't hold. That was a super easy fix. All in all a great plane, but it does not flat spins or hard 3D. It is a beginners plane. I am a foamie beginner, but not a beginner pilot and this thing flaps too much.

I think I may try the Ultimate as it should be a lot more rigid and the foam Horizon is using is nicer than anyones as I bought some depron and none has the skin that Horizon's has. Super nice. I just don't like having to fix something right out of the box and I would have to with the Ultimate elevator as it is the same as the Tribute's. I could go for the FancyFoam Pitts, but I really want an Ultimate. I have thought about the FF Pitts and painting it all red and making it a Ultimate Pitts with the Sean Tucker Oracle color scheme. That would be cool!!!

Norman Ross

I have come up with an excellent solution on my scratch builds. I cut the elevator out so it is all one piece. The center section is about 1 1/2" wide. I then cut the vertical stabalizer or rudder (according to the position of the elevator). The cut out is crescent shaped and allows for the center section of the elevator to rotate. This method does away with any kind of stick joiner and is much stiffer than any joiners. Also it ensures that both elevator halfs are in perfect alignment. Try it - you'll like it.

Well my father has the pitts 12 from fancyfoam and well we like it it flys great but Its hard to get used to cause it has alot of dehidreail in the bottom wing and so it rotates back to the middle when you put it in a turn the ultimate does too.but not as bad I agree the ultimate Looks alot more nicer i think My father has the full size goldberg ultimate yet he never will fly it cost to much $ for him to fly it he says anyways so its a hanger plane.anyways I hate to here that about the tribute my father has one of them on order too but what do you mean by it Flaps to much ????..I wanna build a 38'inch wingspan ultimate..anyways happy flying everyone

The wing is so wide an dlong that even with the carbon rods it flaps like a bird. The Tribute was designed to be a 3D trainer. It will sure 3D, but it is not near rigid enough. Spins and etc it will not not snap. It is just too flexible. No matter how much throw you get it will not snap. Hovers great. To male clean turns it needs rudder. Get used to flying it with the rudder a lot. You just lean it a little with the ailerons and you turn it with the rudder. Just like a heli. A little wind and all the wing area and it is a handfull. That wing just flaps way too much, but Horizon says it was designed that way. You guys flying Fancy Foams are not going to like it. They are much more rigid.

Norman Ross Jr.

Ok ok thanks for explaining,Well that sucks.Well know I know that maybe we ca use longer carbon or something.I kinda thought then form looking at the pics but anyways thanks for the info.