Hey everyone,
I'm looking for a new pattern plane, i've had a look on the net, and have come up with 3 planes i like so far, the Great Planes Venus 40 (don't like the pink underside of wings tho ), the Sportsman Aviation Excelleron 50 and the Freestyle Rush... just wondering if anyone has any information on which of those is the better pick, or if there's any other good ones to look at.

Thanks james.

James,

I've had the Venus and really liked it; probably will get another one.
Here is a link to another plane that I have never seen or flown, but it seems to be well liked by others that have commented on it. It is the Cermark Javelin II.

http://www.cermark.com/Merchant2/mer...egory_Code=AAA

Larry

Take a look at Phoenix Models Sea Bee Sport/F3A Pattern Airplane. For $99.00 bucks from Tower. May be just a little heavy for that size plane but it's not for 3D it's for pattern flying. I've read good things about it here in some of the threads.

Try Hangar 9 Aresti, very nice plane but more of a sport feel than pattern. Another is the Hobbica Starfire. The you have the CMPro GSP Magpie.

Given your nick the question which needs to be asked is what do you want to do with it, freestyle 3D or conventional pattern?

Of the three you mention, the Venus is the pick for conventional pattern. I've heard desultory things said about the Excelleron's pattern performance and ESM's Rush is neither a 3D ship or pattern ship, though it's fun enough to fly.

If you want a .46/.50 class ARF to fly conventional entry level pattern today, taking into account what is available in Australia (eg: Cermark's Javelin isn't) you'd be hard pressed to go past Thunder Tiger's Imagine 50 in either price or performance. Great value for money particularly as most TT ARFs are right up there with The World Models and Kyosho in terms of build quality. I'd have one myself if I didn't already have so many of type. Maybe I can sell one off and get an Imagine?

Sigrun is ever so right! The TT Imagine is brilliant! Just plonk in a Magnum 61 4C and that is enough to make her hold a proper knife edge all across the field. I would say try the Imagine. I find that the Imagine flies so much better than my H9 Aresti.

Stop tormenting me tIANci.

Now I'm definitely going to have to sell something off to replace it with an Imagine!

Sig ... come on everyone in my town is flying one with a TT46 and tuned pipe. The my pal brought out the Magnum 61 4C, its was so lovely, just the right combination! YOU HAVE TO GET ONE!!! I just spoilt myself and got the Fliton Extra 330, I walked into the LHS and I knew I was done for. Come on ... help the retail economy a bit!!!

Ehehehe.. Hey I love retail therapy as much as anyone reasonably should, but at present I have unbuilt ARFs queued up screaming "Build me! Build me!". Something tired would have to be retired or auctioned off first. And as it happens I have an under-employed TT .46 sitting here....or an Irvine .53 which'd 'prolly be just the ticket.

Don't we all do that ... I doubt my new Extra as be assembled in the next 3 months! freestyln ... get the Imagine.

James,

I have to put in my two cents worth here since I have several pattern planes. I just today made the maiden flight on my second Javelin II. The day before my 67th birthday back in late Feb. I had one of those brain farts that older folks sometimes have and over controlled my first Javeline on high rates a tad too close to the ground. I was doing inverted snaps and just lost where I was. I immediately ordered another one from Cermark when I hit the house. Took me about 2 weeks to put it together and get it ready then I was gone to the Braves spring training camp for 10 days and came home to nothing but rain.

Anyway, both of these have been powered with an OS .46 AX ABL and the plane simply screams with an APC 11-6 prop. It's on rails and is the best pattern plane I have flown to date. I've only been back into the hobby since about October of last year, but flew pattern a good bit some 20 years ago. This plane is light and very sleek and will do much more than I'm capable of on high rates and it's so very smooth on low rates. My only concern with the two planes is the positioning of the landing gear. On the first plane I had a nose over on most all of the first few landings until I remembered to switch to high rates on the elevator just after touch down. We fly from pretty smooth grass field here as it's on a sod farm, but the gear was just a little too far back even with the CG set to the max setting, the first bump and the tail would come up and the prop would dig in. The last few weeks on the first plane and now on this new version, I put the gear in a vice in the shop and bent both of them forward about 15 degrees. That does in effect lower the plane a bit, but I don't have any of the nose over problems now.

I think you should take a look at the Cermark site and consider the Javelin II if you are wanting a true pattern plane, but one that you can fly around and hot dog with on the weekends. For what it's worth, the first version of the Javelin I got, I went with the package that got you the GMS engine and all servos mounted. Don't bother with that. Just get he plane and put that other money towards the better engine, i.e. the OS .46 and then put in your JR or Futaba servos. I still have the GMS engine and the servos that came with the first plane in a box somewhere. I would only use their servos as a backup throttle servo and I never got the GMS engine to run correctly through a single flight. The OS is just an outstanding engine and I can't wait to break this one in.

Just my thoughts... take care,

Tommy
Valdosta, GA

I have a H9 Aresti, I think it is awesome..... But I never had one of those Imagine's that tIANci is speaking of...

Just Imagine it ... hehehe ...

Hay tIANci, how about a photo of all these planes you have?

Vortec ... its what I had. Currently in the room and flying are my Pacific Aeromodels Edge 540 (60/100) and Pacific Aeromodels Laser 200 1/4 scale. I got this bad habit of buying planes. I think I bought and then sold/crashed about 20 last year. Guess, I could be doing worse. NIB I got the F90 and Fliton Extra 330, I will try to get pics this weekend.

For a very nice flier look at the Cloud Dancer by TT (www.quantummodels.com) its a very nice plane, light, nimbel and floats a lot if you need will fly good with a 46 and with a 50something it jsut rips!!!

Pat - yeah its a lovely plane, I would love the 60 sized one but its not a pattern sport flier. She will not hold a KE comfortably.

OOOPPSS[:'(]!!! I didn't see the pattern part!!!
Ok then I suggest the Skylark by Hobby Lobby I have one and is a very good pattern plane for beginner pattern fliers like me!!!
I also have a Swallow EX from giantscale planes (its on the rebound I crashed it some time ago....)
The skylark is a good flyer, is light and holds where you pint it like it's on rails!!

Swamp ... is the Swallow that nice? I bought one, never got it up and I sold it. What did you power her with? Lemme know!

Has anyone here, other than myself, had any experience with the Goldberg Matrix? A friend of mine got one, didn't like it, and sold it to me for 50 bucks. I put an OS 70 four stroke on it and am still flying it. It flies nicely but this is the first time I've flown this type of aircraft. It looks very similar in design to the Venus which a few of you have recommended.

Tommy

An easily overlooked but pertinent detail, Cermark's Javelin II is not distributed/available in Australia (where James lives)......unless you're volunteering to pay shipping by FEDEX?

There is also the widebody40 by CA models.The hobbyman?? in victoria is distributing CA planes.