Hotshot Charlie

Hey Sean,

Yep, I flew one battery pack, the wind was about 20mph, so I didn't get to really do anything that will tell me how it really flys. It is definitely NOSE HEAVY, so I will start by moving the battery back about 1 inch, see what happens.

With this much wind, you just can't really tell how it flys. [] I knew that it would be tough, when I took the plane out of the car and it almost went airborne on it's on. [X(]

Supposed to turn really cold tonight, so maybe, even if it's cold out, maybe the wind will die down so I can fly it and tell what I need to do to it.

Sean McDonnell

My Feedback: (4)

Rob, Sounds like alot of the people posting on this sight are constantly fighting the wind. I guess I'm lucky down here in Naples, Fl. The winds are rarely over 10mph. Anyways, keep us posted and the best of luck to ya.

Hotshot Charlie

During the Fall and Winter, wind is off and on here..... sometimes it's non-existant, but this week it's been high.... all week. Guess it's because I was on vacation and knew I wanted to fly the little plank ! Wind doesn't effect the heli's that much..... just basically will make them gain and loose lift. But the little electrics, just don't like the wind.

Ya'll have a great holiday and I will let you know about the progress on the ME.

Sean McDonnell

My Feedback: (4)

Hey Jeff,

ExtremeFlight is getting ready to release a beautiful buit-up Yak for $89.00. Here's a link:


http://www.extremeflightrc.com/Produ...TML/EYak55.htm

Get Real

im in the midwest to... weathers been crap for weeks.. 40mph+ winds at worse and around 20mph at best. dont plan on flying or testing any plane set ups any more this year.. but got this to keep my learning curve going. couldnt leave it alone and only had it a day.. took off training gear today and it flys better and trimmed fuselage for easier battery install and removal... its nice when winds are over 20 mph outside and i can hover around house with it lol. its the first time i flew a heli but my learnings coming along.. will be a lot more fun in backyard when winds calm down out here. my edge is in storage now but i'll have video when spring comes and better feed back on it. both times i test flew it the winds threw it all over the sky so i cant really tell how well it flys or if it has any bad habits.. winds did the same to my typhoon and i know that flys rock solid.

Jeff Hendricks

My Feedback: (3)

Thanks. I saw that. I live In Atlanta and know Chris who ownes Extreme Flight. Well I see him at the field and have talked with him at least. I am sure his new E Yak will fly great. All his planes do. But it is a profile. I got tiered of profiles. Looking for a a Non Profile built up mini Yak.

Hotshot Charlie

Hey GetReal,

I had the a XRB cordless for awhile..... right now, I wish I had it back! Nothing better for practicing all upright orientations.

Get Real

Hotshot Charlie/ i never flew a heli before.. just started flying planes. but you know how the weathers been and past month or so its been high winds in my neck of the woods so ive been grounded. its cool to have something to get more stick time in with. i posted a video in member videos of my first flights with it. doesnt seem nearly as stable as in videos.. but there flying in a big gym with a lot less ground effect and the two guys flying been flying well over a decade each and there skill always shows in the videos e-flite puts out. been taking baby steps with it and getting smoother and its becoming a lot more predictable to me. i think i see a t-rex in my future as well as more planes. if you see video let me know if its my inexpierence or its a combonation of both with the way the helis flying in video.. the video was first day and first flights with it and i know its gonna take awhile until im as smooth with it as the planes.

Get Real

backyard flyer did a review on the mini edge.. and its thumbs up/greg covey is in the process of doing a full review for RCU on the mini edge also. i think its gonna come down to set up as well as flying skill. i follow a few forums on planes i fly and theres almost always mixed reviews.. i atribute this to expierence and skill. usually in my short expierence the people who have flown large planes and moved to smaller electrics dont fair as well. just from talking to people as well as flying... the electrics seem to require a little more skill in the stability department do to there smaller size and harder time flying in higher winds.

Hotshot Charlie

Getreal,

Was that you with the "first flight with the Blade CX" video, posted on 11/23/05?

If that's you, your doing fine. Loose the training sticks. The little electric heli's are "fidgity" so they will bump around a good bit, especially until you get the feel for them.

Now, start practicing side in hover, and slowly move to nose in. For a quick bail out, just do a fast tail rotor turn back to tail in. Always add collective/throttle when you get in trouble....

So basically, a good bail out is turn the heli with the rudder and add some collective/throttle as the same time.

Have fun, they will teach you a lot. The next step is doing slow piroette (sp) turns, while keeping the heli in one spot.

Get Real

Hotshot Charlie/yes thats my video lol. took gear off yesterday and just like ive read it did make it fly a little better and it hovers smoother to. just like planes i had to try different set ups etc a little. read about ground effect and now i really see how much of a difference it makes while your in it. did a few small beginner manuvers/did spins and landed and took off from dinner table/and did a little foward and backward flight and side ways. gets a little nerve racking at times being new and not wanting to run before i can walk im taking it easy because it could wack a wall or tv or fishtank or something if i get to aggressive with my learning. its fun and a really good tool for my flying considering i can fly it night or day regardless of winds outside and it will only help to improve my flying ability overall. thanks for the advice/cant see it in video but theres a ceiling fan to deal with to.. ive gotten hovers in under it maybe a foot or less from it but am totally aware its there. ive read a few times on here and in other places if you can fly a micro heli you can fly anything.

flyguy33240

I just bought the E-flight Mini Edge. I've been reading previous posts and am getting a little discouraged! The airplane is all done and ready to fly. I'm a little nervous to fly it since I've been reading posts. Does anybody have anything good to say about the Edge??

Sean McDonnell

My Feedback: (4)

"I atribute this to experience and skill" (your quote). You just happen to be right. It takes alot more skill to fly a $10,000.00 plane inches above the ground than it does to fly a $300.00 plane 30 to 60 ft. up in the air in circles. I guess that's the reason every review on the ME I've read has been done by novice pilots. They save the experts for the planes that fly well. In a couple of the reviews on the ME, the author comes right out and says they are novice pilots. Anyone knows these people HAVE to give the planes good reviews. Its thier clients like E-flight for example, who pay the advertising bills to keep the magazine companies in business. So don't think these reviews tell you the truth about how these planes really fly. If you want to know how they fly, read the reviews on these sights and watch videos of guys flying the planes. As fas as guys who fly big planes typically having trouble with smaller electrics, thats just hogwash. Watch the Etoc pros right here at RCuniverse and every electric pilot was flying Giant Scale 1st. All the best pilots in the world fly giant scale, not because they're easier, but because they fly more true to scale and they present better. I have no trouble at all flying smaller electrics. I love them. It's just the ME thats been a real dissapointment to me. The fact is however. thiers alot of sport aerobatic pilots who will like the ME because they're the pilots who keep thier planes flying fast. The problem with the ME is that you can't slow it down because its severely unstable.

Get Real

Thanks Sean could you please post a link to some of these reviews youve read on the mini edge. im mostly a circle flyer but enjoy a little 3D here and there. the pilots i talked to in person at one of the best flying fields in illinois all had over 10 years flying expierence and 5 to 10 thousand dollar gas planes. they told me some of the pros and cons of small scale versus larger scale planes/there pilot skills spoke for themselves in the air. i consider these flyers good for the hobby and knowlegable/they took the time to answer my questions with both first hand knowledge and there own opinions.

Get Real

Hotshot Charlie/have a updated vid of bladeCX in members videos. my flyings coming along and im getting smoother. took your advice and started piros etc a little bit. still a little nerve racking at times because of small area . have you gotten the edge in the air again ? this site has some good footage of the edge and also some himax set ups. http://www.e-flightline.com/index.html edge is in video section there cobri combo with himax looks great/5400kv inrunner. should have excellent power or top end depending on gear ratio used and prop.

Diver09

My Feedback: (1)

Do u guys think i need the 3D servo arms for my ME? Or will i be fine with my stock ones that came with my servos(hs 55's).

Get Real

this may be of intrest to you http://www.allerc.com/product_info.php?products_id=1924 very close.

Sean McDonnell

My Feedback: (4)

I wouldn't recomend bigger servo arms then the stock hs-55's. (the biggest one that comes with the Hs 55). Even those are unnecesary unless u are a very proficient 3D flyer. People are over controlling the surfaces on the ME, especially the elevator, and the ME doesn't need all that throw for regular flight. The more control surface u have, the easier it will be for u to get in trouble with the ME. Start out with a 1/4" of throw on the elevator on your 1st few flights and u will be happier with the plane. I flew my ME with 3/8ths of elevator travel on low rates and full deflection with 90% expo on high rates. Once you get the plane dialed in and you're comfortable with it start adding in more throw for 3-D flight only. I never needed more than 5-16ths to 3-8ths elevator travel for regular flight and on low rates I still used about 40% expo.

Sean McDonnell

My Feedback: (4)

Yeah, it's a beautiful plane. (no just kidding). Just today at the field I had the pleasure of flying a Mini Funtana with a Hacker A30-28 and X-30 speed controller. The 1st time I flew that plane it had the park 400 inrunner and I was just as dissapointed with it as I was with my ME. However, with the hacker, it was a totally different flying plane. Stalls were non existent. I think with these Mini electrics they're underpowered so they're constantly falling into a stall when you slow them down at all. But with the hacker I didn't have that problem. It felt well balanced and I had alot more confidence in high-alpha flight. My buddy is letting me put the Hacker in my ME this weekend to see how it flies and I will keep everyone posted.

Hotshot Charlie

Hey Sean,

Let us know about the Hacker in the ME..... interesting idea!

Get Real

Sean/Could you please post the links to those reviews youve read. these are from your posts (All Your Quotes)I have an E-flite Park 450 outrunner in my Mini Edge and it has gobs of power. It hovers below 1/2 throttle post#102. I'm running an 11 x 3.8 slo flyer with the park 450 post #113. I've got over 3 oz. of weight on the front of the firewall post#127. I have the Park 450 and that isn't really enouph power for the Mini Edge. I would wait for the park 480 but I'm selling the Mini Edge because its an unstable 3D plane post#188. Anyways, I've decided to put my ME on Ebay and RCuniverse post#127.My ME is hanging up for sale at the hobby store. post#201. I'm beginning to realize theres a big difference between the foamies and a mini balsa like the edge. I love flying the foam planes right up close and was dissapointed when I realized I couldn't fly the Edge this way. post#129. I flew my ME with 3/8ths of elevator travel on low rates and full deflection with 90% expo on high rates. Once you get the plane dialed in and you're comfortable with it start adding in more throw for 3-D flight only. I never needed more than 5-16ths to 3-8ths elevator travel for regular flight and on low rates I still used about 40% expo. post#268(End Of Your Qoutes). These Are Only Suggestions.. your probally a little under proped/ the motor is 890kv and will swing a 12x6e apc no problem. adding over 3 ounces of weight to the nose is probally not only making the edge heavier its also probally making it more difficult to fly and making it hard to balance. thats like putting a 3cell 1200mah lipo on the cowl of the plane 3 ounces is what a typical 3 cell 1200 weighs. ive flown with and without expo... i prefer to have more control and quicker reaction and fly with out expo/some people swear by expo.. you didnt state if its positive or negative expo ? just a Suggestion try flying it on low rates with out expos and gradually reduce expo on high rates. first off id get the plane balanced to your liking/i prefer planes a little tail heavy myself. unless you can drastically lighten the airframe as well as its components the edge will not float like the yak54f or be as forgiving or stable.. key being the yak54f has more wing area and is around 7-10 ounces lighter depending on set up. this is the difference between foamies and built up arfs of similar size... its totally weight to wing area. the e-flightline link above shows how well the edge can be flown with proper set up and a expierenced highly skilled pilot /go to video section. any plane can be a handful if you havent flown it before or dont have it set up properly. i hope this helps you sincerly.

cje0114

My Feedback: (27)

That was a great and well thought out post GR.

I myself love the ME. I fly it a tad tail heavy with 1320mah batteries, and the park 400 4200kv motor. It is a very stable flier for an airplane this size. I don't see why this plane gets bashed so much.

Chris

flyguy33240

Chris - That's great to hear that at least one person has had good luck with the plane. I'll take off for the first time with a little more confidence now. Thanks!

cje0114

My Feedback: (27)

Flyguy,

Make sure to take your time with the ME. It is a touchy little airplane, and responds quick to small inputs. Once you get the feel for it, I think you'll like it if you give the chance. It's no foamy and that's for sure. Fly the airplane and tweak it to your liking. Don't just fly 1-3 times and bash the crap out of it like other people all over the internet are doing right now.

Later,

Chris

cje0114

My Feedback: (27)

Oh and by the way, the ME dosen't land as bad as it's made out to either. It needs a little air speed to keep from stalling, but no mach 10 like others have said. If you can land any "Normal" airplane, you can land the ME.

Chris