MOUNTAIN MODELS ETANA
06-14-2005 | 11:28 AM
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From: Louisville, KY
RE: MOUNTAIN MODELS ETANA
luv2fly2,
I personally haven't had a chance to fly the Etana, but have seen it in action a few times. With a power system that can give you 200 Watts, you will have a beautiful airplane!!!! So far, I have talked with the pilot of one locally, and seen it fly on a few occasions. The owner of it has flown my Mini Funtana to compare. He believes that the Etana outclasses the MF by 1000%!!!! The wingspan is longer on the Etana for basically the same AUW. This gives you a little lighter wing loading. For me the MF is NOT a 3D plane!!! From what I have seen of the Etana so far, it might just be a very good 3D bird!
Please remember that I have not actually flown it, but have seen it flown by a novice 3D pilot doing some advanced 3D maneuvers very well!!!
Just my thoughts,
Reg
I personally haven't had a chance to fly the Etana, but have seen it in action a few times. With a power system that can give you 200 Watts, you will have a beautiful airplane!!!! So far, I have talked with the pilot of one locally, and seen it fly on a few occasions. The owner of it has flown my Mini Funtana to compare. He believes that the Etana outclasses the MF by 1000%!!!! The wingspan is longer on the Etana for basically the same AUW. This gives you a little lighter wing loading. For me the MF is NOT a 3D plane!!! From what I have seen of the Etana so far, it might just be a very good 3D bird!
Please remember that I have not actually flown it, but have seen it flown by a novice 3D pilot doing some advanced 3D maneuvers very well!!!
Just my thoughts,
Reg
06-15-2005 | 10:53 AM
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From: Fort Collins, CO
RE: MOUNTAIN MODELS ETANA
I was actually debating between the Etana and the Mini Futana. Sounds like you are not that pleased with the Mini Futana (not truly 3D) is it under-powered or what makes it not 3D?
Larry
Larry
07-04-2005 | 11:00 PM
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From: Louisville, KY
RE: MOUNTAIN MODELS ETANA
Larry,
Sorry for not replying quickly. I have been too busy with work.
To answer your question, it is simple. The airplane does NOT like to fly slow. In order to make it do a some what passable Harrier flight, I had to make a flight mode that gave me 35% spoilers. This made life a little easier, BUT it still wanted to get into a wicked wing rock very easily. It also, didn't have enough rudder throw for my taste. I was never able to get a nice blender out of the airplane. Knife edge flight required a LOT of coupling to make it fly well, and with the rudder throw I had set it took nearly full power to get the airplane to maintain altitude with FULL rudder deflection! By full deflection, I mean it went all the way to touching the elevator when static!
Now one could say that I flew 99% of my flights with the rear wing mounting, thus giving me a slightly forward CG. This I will counter with the fat that the MF in the FORWARD mounting section, gave me such a rear CG that the airplane was VERY close to being uncontrolable. I verified this with 2 other accomplished 3D pilots in my area.
Another reason I say that they MF is not a good 3D plane is it's weight. Mine was not the lightest plane in the group, and required a LOT of throttle with a good 3D prop to make it fly. I ended up settling on an APC 11x7 SF prop. This prop does not lend itself to nice hovering with the high pitch speed.
Now why do I think the Etana will be better. First it will weigh the SAME as the Mini Funtana, BUT with a LONGER wing! This will give you more stability in slow speed flight typical in most 3D work. Secondly, the tail controls surfaces on the Etana seem to be slightly larger than on the MF. This will give you better pitch control, and better rudder authority!!!
I am a fan of Doug's planes at Mountain Models. The Etana to me is a better deal than the MF from one last standpoint. The Etana is a KIT!!! I like building just as much as flying. Also, with a kit, I am VERY sure of my glue joints being perfectly joined!!!
Whatever airplane you choose though, make sure to check EVERYTHING out before you fly! I lost my MF about 2 weeks ago! I had my receiver antennae decide it no longer wanted to be connected to the receiver!!!! My antennae broke about 3 inches from the receiver!!! Not only was that a bad thing, but it did it during a descending knife edge with the right wing down (about 30 feet up.) It rolled twice before I even knew it, went to full power, and did the most perfect split S right into the ground in a 90 degree nose down attitude. All of this happened in a time span of about 3 seconds. I walked up to the airplane with a few friends, and immediately put my Thunder Power 3S 1900 in a fire proof safe. Airplane is balsa toothpicks!!! NOTHING from the vertical and horizantal tail survived! ALL of the the wood was in splinters!!! Maxx Prod meatl gear was in 7 peices!!! Motor managed to make it out without much visable damage other than scrapes on the outside case from gearbox destruction. But I am afraid that with the impact of the thing, the motor is toast. After waiting 15 minutes, check on the Lipo, and it was swollen to about twice normal size. Filled the safe with sand and brought it to local Radio Shack. The only bright spot was they took care of disposing of the pack at NO CHARGE!!!
Total damage bill: one airplane ... gone, all but one HS55 servos ... gone, one Himax 2025-4266 ... gone, one ThunderPower 3S 1900 ... gone, one receiver .. gone, one APC 11x7 prop ... gone!!!! Having your buddies harrass you for 2 days about losing EVERYTHING in the plane ... PRICELESS!!!!!
Reg
Sorry for not replying quickly. I have been too busy with work.
To answer your question, it is simple. The airplane does NOT like to fly slow. In order to make it do a some what passable Harrier flight, I had to make a flight mode that gave me 35% spoilers. This made life a little easier, BUT it still wanted to get into a wicked wing rock very easily. It also, didn't have enough rudder throw for my taste. I was never able to get a nice blender out of the airplane. Knife edge flight required a LOT of coupling to make it fly well, and with the rudder throw I had set it took nearly full power to get the airplane to maintain altitude with FULL rudder deflection! By full deflection, I mean it went all the way to touching the elevator when static!
Now one could say that I flew 99% of my flights with the rear wing mounting, thus giving me a slightly forward CG. This I will counter with the fat that the MF in the FORWARD mounting section, gave me such a rear CG that the airplane was VERY close to being uncontrolable. I verified this with 2 other accomplished 3D pilots in my area.
Another reason I say that they MF is not a good 3D plane is it's weight. Mine was not the lightest plane in the group, and required a LOT of throttle with a good 3D prop to make it fly. I ended up settling on an APC 11x7 SF prop. This prop does not lend itself to nice hovering with the high pitch speed.
Now why do I think the Etana will be better. First it will weigh the SAME as the Mini Funtana, BUT with a LONGER wing! This will give you more stability in slow speed flight typical in most 3D work. Secondly, the tail controls surfaces on the Etana seem to be slightly larger than on the MF. This will give you better pitch control, and better rudder authority!!!
I am a fan of Doug's planes at Mountain Models. The Etana to me is a better deal than the MF from one last standpoint. The Etana is a KIT!!! I like building just as much as flying. Also, with a kit, I am VERY sure of my glue joints being perfectly joined!!!
Whatever airplane you choose though, make sure to check EVERYTHING out before you fly! I lost my MF about 2 weeks ago! I had my receiver antennae decide it no longer wanted to be connected to the receiver!!!! My antennae broke about 3 inches from the receiver!!! Not only was that a bad thing, but it did it during a descending knife edge with the right wing down (about 30 feet up.) It rolled twice before I even knew it, went to full power, and did the most perfect split S right into the ground in a 90 degree nose down attitude. All of this happened in a time span of about 3 seconds. I walked up to the airplane with a few friends, and immediately put my Thunder Power 3S 1900 in a fire proof safe. Airplane is balsa toothpicks!!! NOTHING from the vertical and horizantal tail survived! ALL of the the wood was in splinters!!! Maxx Prod meatl gear was in 7 peices!!! Motor managed to make it out without much visable damage other than scrapes on the outside case from gearbox destruction. But I am afraid that with the impact of the thing, the motor is toast. After waiting 15 minutes, check on the Lipo, and it was swollen to about twice normal size. Filled the safe with sand and brought it to local Radio Shack. The only bright spot was they took care of disposing of the pack at NO CHARGE!!!
Total damage bill: one airplane ... gone, all but one HS55 servos ... gone, one Himax 2025-4266 ... gone, one ThunderPower 3S 1900 ... gone, one receiver .. gone, one APC 11x7 prop ... gone!!!! Having your buddies harrass you for 2 days about losing EVERYTHING in the plane ... PRICELESS!!!!!
Reg
