Does anyone have any input in the Lanier Razor 3D? I just picked one of these up and plan on powering it with a Saito .82. This will be my first nitro-powered/balsa 3D plane; my current 3D experience has been with foamies. I can hover my Somethin' Extra and can pull off a decent harrier with a little wind. Other than that, the SE won't do much in the way of 3D (excellent plane otherwise!!!). I've been impressed with the Razor reviews and was sold when I got to see a seasoned 3D pilot whip one around the field. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to talk to him about it. I'm not concerned with the building aspect as the one I purchased is used. I've searched the forums and haven't found much info on this model. My main question is basically how does it fly? Any bad habits? Strengths, weaknesses, etc.. ?

Any input would be greatly appreciated. [8D]

Abram

Nobody has any comments? It must be that good, huh? [&:]

AHPowelson.... Guess no one has one???? I have been checking your thread
as I have been looking at these... Oh well, maybe someone will pipe in given
more time.... Let us know how yours fly!!

I have one, and I've had a great time with it. The manual says to use "everything you can get" for high rate. I would experiment, and gradually increase the rates as you get used to the model, as it will roll quite fast. Be sure that the pull-pull cables for the elevator are the same length and snug. If you really yank on the elevator, it will flop out. Use plenty of expo on the ailerons. I have 65% on mine and 25-35% on everything else. Mine is powered with an OS 46 and a 12x4 prop and does just about anything. The wheel pants tend to crack in tall grass. If you don't have remote glow, I would add one somewhere where the prop won't slice your fingers off. With the size engine that you're using, you might have to add tail weight.

Hi Dan, thanks for the input! The prior owner had an OS .70 in it which weighs apprx. 4 ounces more than the Saito .82. I'm waiting to hear back from him on how it balanced out. How did yours balance with the OS .46? Do you know what your AUW is? Where is your GC? I'll be definitely looking into a remote glow starter. Hopefully I can get a few more people to throw in their $.02. I'll be sure to post a report once I get it up the air.


Thanks!
Abram

Good lord!
Do a search here and you'll take it back to the hobby shop and get your money back. From what I've read--it's that bad.

I've got a goldberg matrix which I believe is just about the same plane. I just read an article on it in Fly RC magazine and the plane looks the same as the matrix (Lanier owns CG models) except the color scheme is different.

I love my matrix but I only have a few flights on it; Powered with a Magnum 91 RFS (4 STroke) it's nothing but good.

Update:

I've got 7-8 flights on my Razor. I'm running a Saito .82 currently swinging an APC 14x4W. I've found at the recommended CG (5.5' from the LE) it is VERY 'snappy' and extremely sensative to elevator input. At the apex of a loop, when applying a little elevator to begin the downline it wants to roll out of it badly. Overall, the plane has some wierd (to me) habits that I hopefully be able to work out. Aside from it's willingness to snap with too much elevator (which really isn't that much IMO), it doesn't have all the attributes of a tail heavy plane. Inverted flight still requires a bit more down elevator that I would have expected. It wants to roll towards the canopy during knife edge flight. I have yet to pull off a decent harrier as well. It will perform absolutely violent snap rolls and walls. It hovers well, but it's wierd.. I don't know a real good way to describe it, but it requires totally different inputs to hold a hover when compared to my other planes. I'm going to play around with the CG and mixing to see if I can make it a little more friendly to fly. I bought this plane used and had to replace the firewall so my thrust could be off.. I fly my Somethin' Extra and Katana GS fearlessly. The Razor is going to be a challenge for me to master. It looks great in the air, shows up well and flys like it's on rails. I'm really not liking how overly pitch sensative it is and how easily it wants to snap, though. It lands pretty hot, but it's not too bad. Any Razor owners have any input? I'm interested to see where others have their CG set.

I have the CG on mine at the 5 1/2" and I will be moving it farther back. I am powering mine with and Irvine53.
I do not find it to be overly pitch sensitive or snappy. It is just right. Do you have exponential setup? I have 60% expo on all.

What is your flying weight. It sounds to me like your plane may be just heavy. Get light.

The plane is a fantastic flyer. Yes, it is a very nimble and very capable plane and will certainly challenge your skills. But it can also be flown very mildly too. This is far from a beginner or even an intermediate plane. (The following is a simple statement of opinoin and is no shot at anyone) --> I feel you must have "flown out" at least 4 airplanes before you should consider the Razor. If you do not have enough experience/stick time then you are liable to just start complaining about it simply because some of its characteristics would be beyond you capacity to recognize them and be perceived as a fault.

There is only one thing I do not like and I am still trying to get used to is the roll coupling with rudder. The plane rolls in the OPPOSITE direction of rudder input. Otherwise I am getting to really love this plane

Really my only big beef with this plane is the sticker price. It is a very nice plane with outstanding performance. Its only real vice is the unwarranted overpriced. If you do not care about the cash and can get yourself past the sticker price or if you can get a good deal on one then get one.

Hi Face,

My Razor is long gone. It snapped into a funky barrel roll if I even looked at the elevator. I turfed it twice due to its bad habits. The first was repairable, the 2nd totalled it. Good riddance!

For fun, here are the details of the crashes:

1) I waited to long to recover from a mesmerizing inverted flat spin. Realizing my mistake, I neutralized the sticks, let the nose drop and applied power along with elevator to pull out. Instead of pulling out, I got a really nice double-barrel roll with the 2nd one ending in a pancake into the ground. Damage: Broken prop, motor mount and a flattened landing gear.

2) I was hovering at about 10' and attempted to transition into a harrier. As the nose started to come down I fed in a little elevator along with some throttle and it did another wonderful snap barrel roll. I almost almost saved it, though! I found myself inverted but parallel to ground with about 3 feet of altitude and dropping fast. I went WOT and pushed up on the stick and what do you now? Yep, another snap barrel roll of doom! This time at full throttle! Damage: Let's just say I have the last 10" of the tail and that's it.


The Razor is an excellent plane, mine was just cursed. I bought it used (actually got pretty much ripped off my an RCU seller) and it had issues I later discovered. Namely the wing had some poorly made repairs, cracked sheeting and had a very slight warp on one side. I've since replaced it with a Goldberg Matrix and absolutely couldn't be happier. It's everything I was hoping the Razor would, and should have been. My Razor was around 5.75lb's. It was cursed by the previous owner that had torn out the firewall, the landing gear deck and performed poor surgery to the wing.

I agree with you on the rudder pitch-coupling. It makes knife edges a little wierd to get used to.