txaggie08

or the dumb evo motor.....ive got a motor that would work great on it, but im NOT buying the extra crap(i saw on at hobbytown the other day, they look pretty nice(wether they work as a trainer properly or not))

Casedit

Just for another view, I have this plane and probably would not have bought it if it didn't come with the motor and radio installed. I don't really care which motor it has because it's only my second plane so i'm not good enough to know the difference, also, i'm going to leave the radio equipment in it because i want to be able to use the plane in the future.

If it didn't come RTF i would've picked another trainer, considering it doesn't cost more than most other RTF trainers that are comparable, i'd much rather have a mustang!!!

If I were more experienced i'd prob want a different motor and/or radio, but then again - not sure i'd be looking at a plane aimed at first timers anyhow

txaggie08

see my objection to having only an rtf package is, i have 250$ sunk in a computer radio, and have no desire to buy another one, especialy since its a negative shift radio(i beleive i have this right), and i use positive shift(Futaba) radio equipment. I also already have a spare motor laying around, so the motor is more i would have to spend. Its not necessarily a BAD thing to sell any trainer as RTF, but to sell it as only RTF is costing them sales, and is blatent fanboying for jr and evo motors.....

olstoney

My Feedback: (19)

I'm fixing mine, HD Charge switch, Hitec dual conversion receiver, so I can use my Eclipse 7 transmitter and if my NIB OS 46FX will bolt right in watch out. Now the question becomes what will someone reasonably pay for a NIB 5 channel JR computer radio with receiver and a 3 year warranty and/or the new unrun Evo motor[sm=confused.gif] Most beginners will buy a Futaba four channel with only a 1 year warranty and something like a Tower or Supertigre 40 because they think it's cheaper. In all reality they will wind up paying about twice more than what I would want for this stuff.

Flyboy76

My Feedback: (14)

just my two cents but i really like my evo motors. they run great and i barely ever have to touch it for tuning which would explain why i suck at tuning engines. But at this point in time i only have a limited amount of time for flying so i like to get right to it. I have an O.S. LA .46 and and evo .40 and an evo .61 and i like the evo's just as much as the OS. I'm sure that if you don't want the engine that comes with the plane somebody will gladly take it off your hands. As far as the radio ya that is a bit of a pain but i'm sure they will be offering it in an ARF form pretty soon.

Flyboy76

My Feedback: (14)

if you are looking for a reasonably priced p-51 arf for the engine you have lying around try the seagull p-51 it is a nice plane that flies really well. i know i'll get flamed for this but i moved right to it from my h-9 arrow trainer and have not had any mishaps. The landings are quite a bit quicker but other than that it has good flight characteristics.

mtcarey

My Feedback: (2)

I flew this plane today for a new guy at our Field. I have been flying for 42 years. Training on several planes with newbies over the past ten years. This is not at all a good first plane. Save it for after you learn to take off and land a standard trainer like a Sig LT 40

Rotor

I disagree. I finally ran a gallon thru it this past week and flew it in all configurations()...(Droops on, Brakes on, Flaps @ 22 degrees), then (took Brakes off), (then flaps up), (then droops off in full clean config).

After extensive testing, in temps ranging from 78 to 90 degrees, I found nothing wrong with this aircraft...even after buying a NexStar for my father-in-law last year, I found this ship to be just as competent and "pleasant", furthermore, a different NexStar had difficulty taking off in half grown grass last week with its 1 3/4" wheels, I found no problem on rollout or with roll-on performance with the 2 1/2" wheels. I still highly recommend this to anyone trying to get themselves or someone else into the hobby.

olstoney

My Feedback: (19)

I told you guys that I would be changing a few things. How do you think this one is gonna fly? The 46 FX slipped right in and the radio gear was an easy swap. I also took the aileron Y harness out and will run separate channels to the servos. I have to run to the LHS tomorrow and get a two blade spinner, APC prop and another servo to hook up the flaps. Should be done by Wednesday, there is alot of CA residue from China to clean up yet.

pressurerat

My Feedback: (1)

I love it when folks do these sorts of mods. [8D]Did you ever try the Evo engine with an apc 2 blader? I am curious to see your progress on this one....it's everything I would do. What RX/TX did you switch to? Did you keep the JR servos in there? Good luck stoney and keep the new info as regular as possible!

olstoney

My Feedback: (19)

Nope,
Never fired the EVO just yanked it out, also the JR receiver and the 5 JR servos. Installed a Hitec QPCM receiver as I have a couple extras and 5 Hitec HS425BB servos. I will be using my Eclipse 7 transmitter. The O.S. FX seems lighter than the EVO, although without a scale can not be accurate with that assumption. There is alot of extra weight with that "flywheel" on the front of the EVO. Hopefully I can sell the JR computer radio, receiver and five servos as a new package. Same thing with the EVO, prop and spinner and recoup some of the investment. There is nothing wrong with the supplied equipment, I just prefer the Hitec stuff and with five planes now have plenty of it!! Bought this plane just to fill a gap while waiting until the end of October for a replacement on a YS 140FZ for my 25% Edge under the warranty and still have a 28% Precision Aerobatics Edge in a box that I haven't started yet. I'm waiting until after Hurricane season is over for that bad boy.

SeattleFlyer

I have this plane on order as my FIRST TRAINER and should get it in a couple of days. I'm new to planes but I've raced R/C on-road gas cars for a few years now so I'm familiar with nitro engines, radios, etc. and I have a lot of respect for the kind of power and dangerous situations these things can deliver. It sounds like most people here so far feel this plane is indeed a good trainer and I'm looking forward to learning how to fly it under the close supervision of an instructor (yes, I'm joining the local flying club and the AMA, so I'll be in good hands). It should be a blast and I'm really excited to start with something a lot more interesting than your typical "box-with-wings" trainer.

Nobody has talked about the simulation software that comes with the package so it would be nice to get some info on it. I'm planning on spending a good deal of time practicing with it as I feel like this will really be helpful before trying to fly the real plane with an instructor. Is the software any good? Does it have the H9 P-51 PTS as one of the simulated models? How does it compare to say the "RealFlight" software?

Thanks!

vertigo72480

A guy at my field has one and we coulddn't get the freakin Evo to transition. Evo's claim to fame is out of the box and into the air? He told me that he got the thing with a bad plug to begin with. The original plug wouldn't even think about firing. New plug, idles fine, try to trans, and forget about it. I really wanted to fly the thing but with a motor that just coughed at run up I told him to clean up and try again later on. The plane looks great. I'm really interested in the flight characteristics, but when you can't trust a motor, well you know, try again later. We even tried an idle bar plug and same problem. I've been tuning engines for along time. Both model and full scale. I work with a fellow who has a drag Beetle, so I know what I'm doing. With all the extra "stuff" on that motor I was lost. Unfortunatley the field was closed this weekend, so I didn't get the chance to see him again, but I can't wait to. Just my two cents worth.

stallwart

Hey Seattle, I have used the H-9 Simulator and have tried a couple of the others. I find they are helpful, but, as with almost all simulations, not quite the same as the "real thing." I found flying my trainer at the field the first few times surprisingly easy (except for knocking knees) after "flying" the simulator. The big difference is---rebuild after a crash is much quicker. The simulation is most helpful in trimming the aircraft, throttle management, and flying the box to make approaches for landing or fly by, etc., which give you a little headstart.
Since I put my Arrow trainer into the trees today, I'm revving up to get my PTS in the air. I tried the updated H-9 simulation which includes the PTS P-51. I can't report yet on the helpfulness. As mentioned before, it was definitely worthwhile with my first trainer....except for the trees, which some guys at my field claim move in closer at night when no one is around.
The most important thing is a good instructor and a patient student. I had a couple of the former.
Cheers.

olstoney

My Feedback: (19)

Guys,
Check the blind nuts in the wing mounting saddle on your planes. The blind nuts in mine are not fully seated and only the tips of the prongs are into the plywood. Please let me know if there are others like this or just mine. I need to dry fit the wing and measure for clearance later this morning before I sock the blind nuts home. It also appears that while changing engines the firewall has not been fuel proofed at the factory, so now I need to pull the motor mount and do that too[:@].

rocknrube

My Feedback: (7)

Hey Seattle Flyer, the simulation software is great! I'm also a newbie and I have found that this software is really enabling me to get a handle on this type of aircraft! When I first started I had great difficulty with landings, touching my wings on the ground and crashing. I had trouble with levelling off and coming in nose-down. I've learned to reduce throttle as opposed to trying to level my wings and rudder for steering. The reduced throttle helps me be to better navigate, land slower and gives me the extra time I need to level off for a three point touch-down. I also have the ability with the software to fly two other planes. The software also gives you advanced specs for the P-51 PTS which I changed to the EVO .46 engine and made some characteristic changes to the runway, like wind, buffet and crosswinds etc.

Hope this is of any use to you, but it certainly has put me on the map with doing some great stuff with my warbird. I'm still not ready yet though to bring the War Eagle into the clouds. Maybe this coming weekend.

SeattleFlyer

Thanks for the additional info on the software. I'm glad to hear it includes the P-51 PTS as one of the simulated models and it sounds like it has some flexibility for model settings. From the info on the web site this was unclear. The simulation should really help someone like me (a total flying newby) get the hang of basic flying and as you said, should also help give some insight on how to take off and land before attempting this with the real model. What a great time to get into the hobby - an interesting airplane to start with that also gives room to grow into as skills are gained, it comes 20 minutes ready-to-go out of the box so the newby can get up and flying quickly, and simultion software to help teach the new pilot before risking his/her model. All of these things add up to helping getting started in the hobby.

One person posted that they didn't feel like buying an ARF that is so pre-built like this package (radio, engine, etc. pre-installed) would help new people really get into the hobby if they didn't build their plane in the first place but I disagree. I think starting with an almost-ready-to-fly plane like this will let me examine the plane and see how everything fits together and how it works which should give me a head start when I move on to putting together my next, more complex airplane after this one. In other words, I think putting together something a little more advanced after starting with this plane will be much easier than starting with something more difficult without ANY prior knowledge on how to build, setup, and fly an airplane in the first place. I do plan on sticking with this hobby for a long time and do want to learn how to build as I feel like that is where the true reward will come from eventually so I can say that to me this plane is a stepping stone to bigger and better things - which includes learning how to build more advanced ARFs, then building from kits, and eventually perhaps from scratch. I think a lot can be learned from reverse-engineering something. I must say that I disagree that new people to the hobby are going to just go out and buy one of these, take it out to the field and wrecklessly attempt to fly it by themselves and then when it is crashed, just buy another one and repeat. Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm not going to do that, and I think something like this plane simply encourages people who are interested in the hobby to give it a try because it makes it quick and easy to do so and reduces the investment risks. After learning to fly with this airplane, us newbies will have an easier time moving on to building something more advanced. I don't see how this could be a bad thing. And hey, why "stick to video games" when this package comes with one that helps teach you how to fly before going out and trying to do so with the real plane? The inclusion of the simulator should encourage people to learn how to fly MORE SAFELY before doing something stupid. Sure, there are always going to be some percentage of stupid people out there that try some stupid things, but I don't think ARFs like this make people stupid - people are stupid, not the airplanes. A stupid person could just as easily go out and buy a used airplane that is ready to go and then try something stupid with it like trying to fly it without someone training them. I think a package like this really encourages people to try the hobby by getting up into the air easily and quickly and encourages them to get a head start with the included simulator before doing so. Both I think should be good for the hobby, not the opposite.

rocknrube

My Feedback: (7)

I totally agree with you Seattle flyer, cause like I really wanted to get into this hobby also, but didn't want to go through building one right away so that I could justsee if it flies. Now I see what the darn thing is and how it works. I've even started taking things apart and checking them out. Adding stuff like a pilot and the charge jack for the receiver. I can't wait to get flying next week after the simulator training, that is once I feel comfortable and I don't have a single crash for about three days on the simulator.

Chat soon, and will keep you updated on the flight reports as they develop.

SeattleFlyer

Exactly - It sounds like you are making a lot of progress towards getting up in the air for the first time.

The canopy comes glued on right? Were you able to add a pilot from the underside or did you remove the canopy some how? I'm going to want to add a pilot as well! Also, what scale of pilot works well and any tips for how to mount one? Got any pictures?

bookboy22

Hangar 9 P51 PTS

I just got mine on Thursday Sept 8th, and believe me these planes are selling like hotcakes in the Ontario Canada hobby stores. Out of the box, I found that the right side landing gear had a wobble wheel due to the wheel center hole being drilled off center. The hobby store is going to replace the wheel once the replacements parts come. BTW The hobby stores are saying that this is one of the first planes that has arrived before the replacement parts have. If you crash your in for a long wait for the spare parts. Not good!!. Anyway, other than the wheel issue, the plane was ready to fly after a 20 - 24 hour RX TX battery charge.

I should let you know that I started flying just this summer with a used, but in pretty good shape, Hobbico Nextstar which was purchased off ebay for have the price of a new one. Before actually flying, I practiced for a month with the simulator software. The hobby store told me to join a flying club and get an instructor to fly with at first. I did the opposite and decided to fly completely solo at my local park. I was very nervous, but was able to use the software training I had gained over the past month. I only had 4 hard landings and have since mastered the plane with all training addons removed. (approx 30 flights total). Then I heard about the Hangar PTS!!!

I read some other post here, with the guys saying to remove the landing gear speed brakes right off the bat. This was done. The flaps were set to the down position, and the wing droops were left on. I ran one tank of Cool power 10% for the engine break in, what Hangar 9 says is not necessary but firmly believe it's always a good idea. I left the high speed and low speed settings just as Hangar had set. It runs rich, but this is the way break in new engines. Off to the the field. Checked that all control surfaces were level, and that the engine was producing good 3/4 and full throttle power with no stalls. I took off the first time with full power and needed to apply immediate right rudder. I pulled back full on the elevator. She climbed nicely and I eased off the power to 1/2. Some small adjustments were made to set level flight. Landing was slow and stable. After 10 more flights, it was time to set the flaps to the neutral setting. Take off was a little longer, and again I had to make a small adjustments to set level flight. After 10 more flights, it was time to remove the clear droops. I also removed the exhaust plate inside the muffler for more power. I found that the muffler was rotating due to the engine vibrations. I tighten the screws but the muffler still rotated. Not good. I also found that the high speed needle was also rotating, and had to pinch the clip tighter. With all the PTS add on's removed, the plane was much more nibble and faster in flight and landing. I had 10 more flights with out crashing. I think I will now add on the flap servo to help slow the plane down during landing.

Overall I am very happy with my new P51 PTS, and would recommend this beauty to anyone who wants a warbird buts needs to take baby steps first. Now what to do with my Hobbico Nexstar?

olstoney

My Feedback: (19)

To the newbies I cannot emphasize this enough, I don't care how much time you spend on a simulator the real world at the field can be different. For instance we have a small lake next to our field on the south side that comes into play sometimes on landing approaches. I have seen very sudden updrafts at times come off of the water and what about crosswind landings or when the pattern is reversed?. Make sure that you get with an instructor, hook up to the buddy box. learn and enjoy your flights. You will be surprised one day when your instructor tells you to fuel up your plane like normal and then when you are ready to fly tells you "this is your solo flight". Trust me here, everyone at the field will be watching you and upon a successful landing you will be greeted with applause from the "peanut gallery". Your instructor will then present you with a solo certificate, or at least that is the way it is done at my club. Make sure that an instructor or other experienced pilot maidens any new plane for the first time. The best pilot in our club flies everyone of my new planes and will fly this one when I am finished. There will always be adjustments that need to be made and you may not have the expertise to be able to understand how to make those adjustments correctly. After my mentor maidens my new planes, I am not afraid or too vain to go ask to go "on the box" with him for two or three flights if need be until I have a feel for the way that the airplane will react. He knows when I am ready to go on my own with that particular airplane and then cuts me loose. I have made some changes to this aircraft, so it is yet to be seen how they will all pan out. For instance I had to Dremel out the belly scoop holes as the nylon bolt heads would not fit through like they were supposed to, I had to sand down the leading edge wing dowels as they would not fit into the former and so forth. My plane might be the exception maybe built on hangover Monday, but I have had to use my modeling skills for about 10 hours so far to put this together. IMHO I would hardly call this project plug and play and I am still not finished. You never know, I might wind up with alot of spare parts for sale.

Mike3579

My Feedback: (56)

Just bought this plane today at the LHS and I'm not new to flying. I fly giant scale 3D type aircraft ( 33% and larger extra's, Yaks, Sukoi's) and I mainly bought this plane to have as a relaxing plane to fly. At the same time I bought the plane I already figured on a APC 10x7 prop with a 2 1/4 red spinner. I plan on keeping the EVO motor but I have one question. The weighted flywheel that's on the motor are any of you replacing that flywheel for a lighter normal size flywheel? I would think that would kill performance also.

olstoney

My Feedback: (19)

I took that thing out and stuck a .46FX in mine, see my previous posts. I don't know if they sell a spacer or not as that flywheel is the prop drive. If you look at Horizons website they sell another Evo 46 that looks nothing like this "trainer" version and has a standard drive hub. Makes you wonder[sm=confused.gif] what's up here.

txaggie08

the flywhel does come off, ive seen several of them stripped like that. I THINK theres a place selling a machined prop drive and i THINK btu dont know , that the one from evo on the other 46 will work to

SeattleFlyer

This will be my course of action: Join the local club and the AMA. "Fly" using the simulator first to get used to the basics of the controls, make the needed adjustments to the plane and have my instructor look it all over, then several real flights using a buddy box and training with an instructor, and then solo flight when my instructor feels I am ready. Can't wait!