After flying all three of these planes at least 20 flights I decided to do a mini comparison on three of the best ARFs out there. I'll start by saying that I compared them on a basis of a 3D pilot and I'm rated at an intermediate pilot. I can do almost all 3D manuevers but probably not the best at anything. My strongest stunts are spins. I enjoy all three planes. I felt like it would be a good idea to compare these airplanes because they have great interst and if I was purchasing one I would like an objective opinion on each of the planes. I've tried to be very fair and use similar data and conditions of flight etc. These are all three great flying airplanes. They are all advertised for the 3D pilots. I just felt like someone needed to do a comparison. I haven't seen this done before so I decided to start a new thread to do. I have no intentions of hurting someones feeling or insult any part or manufacturer. These are fair and honest evaluations. I will post one post for each plane and then a summary.
Thanks
Barry

Here we go. First the Yak 54 68" made by Extreme Flight. YS 110, Hitec MG servo 5625 and 5645 and 645, 16x6 prop. Weight ready to fly less fuel 8lbs 10 ozs.

Building

Cost/Value 7.5 Most expensive plane by far. $330
Availability 4.5 This is by far the hardest plane to get in America. I bought mine from a private party
Orientaion/Visual 9.5 Very easy to see which direction the plane is
Durability 9.0
Weight as advertised 9.0 Is on the high end of the scale but certainly within specs
Manual, readability and info 8.5 Pictures and some info on motor mounting could be more clear
Hardware 9.0 Wheels are poor everything else is very good. I replaced rudder cables
Build Quality 8.5 Had to drill the landing gear and firewall
Covering 9.5

Total 75/9 = 8.3

Flying

Knife Edge 10.0 Best KE of the 3, very little coupling, easy to do
Harrier 9.0 Pretty easy but required a lot of spoileron
Rolling Circles 9.5 Very nice and easy to do
Waterfalls 9.0 Nice but harder and not as tight as the others
Staircases 9.5
Rolling Harrier n/a Beyond me at this point as a pilot
Inverted Flat Spin 7.0 Does them "scale" like but won't hold in flat spin and not very flat
Upright Flat Spin 8.0 Better than inverted but still the worst of all the planes
Hover 9.0 Does them nice but the hardest of all 3. Falls back towards the canopy
Precision Flying 9.0 Best 3D plane but not the best at precision
Landing 9.0 Easy to land but not the easiest

Total 89/10 = 8.9

Fun Factor 9.0 Fun to fly but not the most fun

Total Rating: 8.3 + 8.9 + 9.0 = 26.2/3 = 8.7

Comments:
1. Landing gear not drilled.
2. Canopy weak and need reinforced. Also cracked after about 10 flights
3. Tires could be better and I changed them
4. Firewall needed to be drilled
5. Most expensive airplane
6. This plane is not available to the general public. Because it is so hard to get it has a mystic about it that makes people think it's better than it is. It's hard to evaluate it if you can't fly it. I spent 6 months looking for mine.
7. Will not flat spin (pinwheel) like the other 3D planes. Even my UCD will do a better flat spin

There you have it. My review of the Yak. The other two will follow shortly.
Thanks,
Barry

Now it's...Showtime. Made by Hanger 9. YS 110, Hitec MG servos, HS 5625, 5645, 645, 16x6 prop. Weight ready to fly less fuel 8lbs 12 ozs

Building

Cost/Value 8.5 Middle of the road on expense
Availability 10.0 If you want one you can get it, at least until people find out how good this plane is
Orientation/Visual 8.0 I thought the purple disappears with certain light conditions, but not too bad
Durability 8.5 No problems yet but looks and feels fragile to me
Weight 8.5 On the high side of scale but within specs
Manual 9.0 The best, easiest to understand manual
Hardware 9.0 I used everything except the wheels which are small for grass and the tailwheel which is very nice but too big
Build Quality 9.0 Builds easier than the Yak and about the same as the Mayhem. Nice quality but light
Covering 9.5 Quality stuff and looks good but some of the trim peeled off


Total 80/9 = 8.9

Flying

Knife Edge 9.0 Does them easy and nice with just a little stick input
Harrier 9.0 Pretty easy but also requies spoileron
Rolling Circle 9.5 Very nice, pure and easy
Waterfalls 9.5 Very, very cool with this plane especially with the SFGs.
Staircases 9.5
Rolling Harriers n/a
Inverted Flat Spin 9.0 Very easy and nice and flat, better with SFGs. Can hold but cannot rise
Upright Flat Spin 9.0 Does them easy and nice
Hover 9.5 Very easy to do and upright, Best with SFGs
Precision Flying 9.0 Almost exactly the same as the Yak
Landing 9.0 Very easy but harder with SFGs because of ground clearance

Total 92/10 = 9.2

Fun Factor 10.0 This is the greatest plane to fly. Very confidence inspiring. Will flip, turn, spin, hover, 3D with the best of them. The SFGs make it crazy fun. What a plane!!!

Total Rating: 8.9 + 9.2 + 10.0 = 28.1/3 =9.4

Comments:
1. Beautiful airplane
2. Most unique with the SFGs. Like getting two airplanes in one. Very creative.
3. Most fun to fly, at least between these 3 airplanes
4. Used pull/pull on rudder. Nice that there was a mount in the tail and the body for either configuration. Nice touch
5. Tailwheel was too big but a nice unit
6. Didn't reinforce a thing. Fine the way it is but does look to be built light
7. Changed tires because I wanted bigger for grass. Stock unit are nice but small
8. Does one of the best flat spins I've seen

This plane is the greatest from a fun stand point and very creative with the SFGs. My hat is off to Mike and to Hanger 9. A lot of plane for the money and you can get it. What a joy to fly.

One more to do.
Thanks
Barry

At first I didn't think the Mayhem was in the same catagory as the other two. But after flying them and flying this jewel I changed my mind. This is a super plane that is very underrated. It belongs in this catagory and to stand by these other two planes.

Made by SIG Manufacturing. YS 110, Hitec HG servos, HS5625, 5645 and 645, 16x6 prop. Weight ready to fly less fuel 7lbs 11 ozs.

Building

Cost/Value 10.0 The cheapest in price but certainly worthy of being in the same class.
Availability 10.0 You can get all of these you want
Orientation/Visual 8.0 The plane can disappear a little bit
Durability 9.0 Very sturdy plane. Easily repaired (don't ask) Seems stronger than the others, yet lighter. Weird how that is.
Weight 9.5 Lightest of the bunch and right in there where advertised
Manual 8.0 shortest and least comprehensive yet had the best info on CG information
Hardware 8.5 Axles bread easily and the tires are junk. Oddly they are the same (axles and tires) as the Yak, everything else is very good
Build Quality 9.0 Easy to build and of very good quality. Canopy even came mounted
Covering 9.5 Very nice stuff. Basically the same as the others

Total 81.5/9 = 9.1

Flying

Knife Edge 8.5 The worst of the 3 but easy to do with stick input and can do them full length of the runway in either direction
Harrier 8.0 Not the best but can be done with lots of spoileron
Rolling Circles 8.0 You can do them pretty easy but not the purest and the most effected by the wind
Waterfalls 9.5 Best of the 3 and easiest to do but about the same as the Showtime from the crowd's standpoint
Staircases 9.0 Not quite as pure or easy as the others
Rolling Harrier n/a
Inverted Flat Spin 9.5 Maybe should be a 10 but I'm going easy on the other guys. This plane spins. You can hover upside down in a flatspin and if you want you can even go up. Cool, and easy. Definetly the best of the 3, maybe the best ever. Coolest move I've ever seen
Upright Flat Spin 9.0 Better than the Yak, same as ST
Hover 9.5 Easy to do. About the same as ST but falls out easier with wind
Precision Flying 8.0 Worst of the 3 by far. Really not it's cup of tea.
Landing 9.5 Maybe should be a 10. But again, going easy on the others. Easiest landing plane I've seen

Total 88.5/10 = 8.9

Fun Factor 9.5 Very fun but not as fun as the ST

Total Rating 9.1 + 8.9 + 9.5 = 27.5/3 = 9.2

Comments
1. Nicest hardware except the wheels
2. Very durable airplane, even survied a crash, easily repaired
3. Lightest of the 3, best power to weight ratio
4. Had to located rudder servo in the tail for balance. No mount so I had to make one
5. Tires should have been better
6. Easiest to land by far
7. The best rising flat spins I've ever seen. A real hoot to do and see. A very popular manuever. Lot's of fun to do.
8. Least work to build even with the rudder servo mount

There you have it.
Thanks
Barry

Nice review!!

Good reviw Barry I am glad you were objective I just hope the Lynching party doesn't come after you for saying there is somthing out the better than the Yak! HE HE HE HE!

Summary
To me the planes are very cool and I love each of them. In the end, they are really pretty close. But this is how I would rate them overall

1st = Showtime with a 9,4 rating
2nd = Mayhem with a 9.2 rating
3rd = Yak with a 8.7 rating

Overall the Yak is in 3rd because of the fact it is unavailable. That is too bad because it may have rated higher than the Mayhem. It probalbly flys better than the Mayhem but it will not spin as well. It's weakest point is the flat spins. I also think just as the Mayhem is underrated the Yak is overrated. Mostly because the masses don't have it. Also I was disappointed the the landing gear wasn't drilled and it's already delaminated. The firewall isn't drilled and the canopy needs reinforced before you ever fly it. Also the wheels are junk and need to be replaced. For the most expensive plane it had the most weaknesses. The cowl is also very thin and has broken from vibration already. Part of why this plane is so desirable is that it is unavailable. When more people have them the mystque will drop off. The Showtime puts it to shame.

The Mayhem did better than I expected but is really an underrated plane. For the money and ease of landing and spins it just can't be beat.

The Showtime. Ahhhh the Showtime. This plane will revolutionize the industry. It is clearly the winner and is by far the most fun to fly. What a combonation!!!! The SFGs make you feel like you bought two planes for the price of one. And it flys great. The landing gear is drilled and so is the firewall. The hardware is excellent. This is the complete package. What a great airplane. It is the best value for the money.

Thanks,
Barry

I would say you are dead on with your reveiw but I will say the Yak is the best scale/3D plane available. The Showtime and the Mayhem are pure 3D planes nothing scale about them. So when you compare the Yak to the other planes out there such as the Edges and Extras it to me seems miles ahead in performance. You can see by my screen name I love the looks of an Extra and if I could find one that performed like my Yak I would buy two!

WoW! We should have more in depth analyses like this! This is why I dropped my subscription to Model Airplane News. Thanks a bunch, Barry.

Nice review Barry,

I'd second what EA said about the Yak; for a "scale" plane of this size, it's probably one of the best if not the best. I think its closest competitor would be the Fliton Extra 300 Freestyle, and the QQ Yak. Now if someone would do a review of those 3 planes, that would do this thread a great service .

Hey Barry, I know you fly/flew a Funtana 90... wanna rate that one for us here too? I'd be interested to see how you stack it up.

lol,

don't even get him started on that on

Nice job Barry. As others have mentioned, I to think that if you have to keep in mind that the Yak is IMAC legal (or scale). That puts it in a class all its own. I have some non scale type planes, but find myself wanting to fly something that can IMAC, 3D and look scale. Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder.

Do us all a favor and rate the F90 also.

You know, you guys are probably right about the Yak. It's really not a special purpose 3D plane but the best scale plane for flying 3D. However, the thread, the advertising, and the hype steer it to the 3D flyer. I did the best I could to rate it as what I bought it for. And it's only natural that it will get compared to the Showtime. And in my book it falls way short of flying like the Showtime. However, doesn't mean it isn't a great plane, just clearly not the best 3D plane.

As far as the F90, I'll make you guys this promise. I will never rate the F90. Those that have them know what they are. Those that want to buy them, don't.

Thanks
Barry

Hey Barry.... Great Review!!!... I like the summary and ratings of
each!! Great Job.... Guess I have to see... Not sure when I'll open
the S.T. box.... And who knows if ever??? That I'll ever get the
parts needed for the Yak...... The Mayhem.... Maybe when Tower
has the same deal as the UCD:-)))

Great Job Guy!!

So what did you say about the F-90

Barry- Awesome reviews... That is the kind of honesty that is hard to find in a review!

I really like the looks of the Showtime, how much are they?

raideron. Get that ST built. You'll love it. I've got the UCD46 coming and as soon as I sell my timer, I'm ordering the F90.
Thanks,
Barry

Razor-RCU. Thanks. I think the price is $259 from Horizon Hobby. But I like to lease mine. I find it cheaper.
Thanks
Barry

COOL REVIEWS....... THX FOR THE GREAT JOB BARRY
WOULD U ALSO COMPARE THE HARRIER3D 90 FOR US?
THX IN ADVANCE ...... DINO

did you say that you are buying another F90

I will say that I also own the Flitton Extra 330 and if it was the same size as the Yak well, it would give the Yak a run for its money! The Flitton Extra is an all around winner in my book and in my opinion is a little more precise than the yak plus it will 3D almost as well but, it is a smaller plane.

3DDino. I've been thinking about getting the Harier 3D. I've heard nothing but good about that plane. I'm not sure if I'd go with the 40 or the 90. Right now I'm leaning towards the 90. If I get it I will do the same review on it.
Thanks,
Barry

I think Barry has a very good thing going with these reviews. I think I will start one on Fliton vs. Yak. vs. I am going to need some help though....wish Barry had both these planes.

One thing the Fliton does extremely well (better than my Yak or F90) is lock into a harrier.

The Fliton (like the Yak) is a IMAC legal scale plane and will not 3D like a fun fly though--just does not have the right shape or wing loading.

BTW, I like the F90. [sm=lol.gif] But I would sell it--(looking at the UL GILES)-- Hmm--if I think about it-- if the F90 was ugly I would not like it as much, I guess "scale like" aesthetics can really sway my opinion of how much I like a plane. [&:] --One thing the F90 does better than my other planes is rolling harriers--don't know why, just does them so nice.

I think this is the best post I have ever visited!

Lets make this post devoted to rating planes of this size and be kind and objective!

Barry,

I am guessing the Mayhem will score much lower in rolling harrier. I think ability to perform this maneuver well is very important for the more advanced 3D fliers. My UCD3D 60 will not roll fast enough at high alpha and low airspeed. I think having a tapered wing would really help in this regard.

While you are gathering more planes to append to your review, perhaps some of us can help you master rolling harrier quickly, so you can critique this criterion with the reviewees.