Just picked up one this past week in mint condition. The guy I bought it from bought it already built and it has been flown once. I have tried to find information regarding the origins and age of this plane online but can't seem to turn up anything. Anyone have any expirience with this model or manufacturer? I gave $50 for it and it came with a good OS Max FP 40 and 3 servos, so regardless I probably did ok on it.

U.S. made from the mid 70's to early 2000 in a factory just WSW of Kansas City on the Kansas side. These arfs were introduced on the tails of Lanier as some of the first plastic fuselage planes. There were 5 or 6 styles from a 150 Cessna to an Extra 300 which was brought out just before the owners death about 5 years ago. They are recognized by their molded external spine joining the fuselage halves. They also introduced a line of RC racing boats. You're plane is NOT for the faint of heart. It is fast and difficult to handle for a novice.

Thank you for the information. I actually got ahold of the original assembly manual today and found the address, but there is no date on it. They called this the Model 152 Aerobat. I still need 2 servoa, a battery and receiver, but i'll probably get this in the air within the month. It looks tame enough with the high wing and all, but i'll prepare myself for the worst once I get it up. I have quite a bit of flight time of my G38 powered Stik and my Extra 300S, so hopefully i'll be ok.

If it does get cool in your area, that hybrid styrene fuselage tends to get very brittle. The small Flitecraft company was going along fine till they signed a contract with Tower and their demanding quotas.

They are good planes until they start to crack after 60-70 flights. I had a couple Bonanza's, 300's, and one Aerobat 152. Tried to find another on eBay, but no luck lately; but then again I'm slowly going electric.

I'll keep the plastic in mind as it does get cold here in Ohio, it may not see much airtime till spring now that you mentioned that.

Shoot, if I get 50 flights out of a $50 plane i'll be pleased, I just thought this thing was pretty unique and I couldnt turn it down for the price.

Kansas is supposed to get a warm blow from the South, so you might have a few warm days yourself to try that herky-jerky Aerobat.
Please write back with your impressions.
As a bit of off topic side note, their last plane offering, the Extra 300 had a side hatch for the battery and I believe another one for the servos. I watched one and heard of others that in an axial roll or tight turn, the battery hatch would pop open and sling out the battery. With me being electrical equipment challenged, it must have changed the cg just enough that the plane lost total control. Should the pilot watch the path of the battery or future crash site ?

The 152 has a side hatch for the servos and receiver, the battery goes in the fuselage. My plan is to relocate the rx to the fuse....just in case.

I have heard talk of temps in the high 60's for later in the week, we can only hope.

Hi Solo, The Flitecraft Airplane Co. was just 20 min. south of me in Baldwin Ks. I have built their Cardinal, Bonanza, Arrow and Extra 300 and several of our club members still have some of their parts around here. I built several of their Bonanza's with retracts, and they are really fast. When they were still in business, Gary Leonard JR. , a co-owner with his dad, would make special wings for me to accept retracts. If you strap the battery and the Rx down inside the door, you won't have any problems. You can also patch any cracks in the fuse by mixing Acetone with some of the plastic mtl. and kind of weld it together. They were great guys and excellent pilots.

Rocketman,

Do you know if Gary leonard JR is still making flitecraft products, or what has happened to him?
I really liked their stuff, and am having a difficult time finding any information.

Thanks,

Sorry to bring this thread back from the dead, but as of right now, the Aerobat still has not been in the air. It may turn up in the classifieds soon as I believe I have lost interest in this particular plane.

Well, I'll try to resurrect it once again. I have one of the Flitecraft 152 Aerobats still in the box. I'm now retired and beginning to dust off a number of new and partially build projects that have been on the shelf for a number of years. Now that I know that this plane is no longer in production, I would like to pick up a kit that I can use for spare/replacement parts. Do you still have yours and if so, are you still trying to sell it?

Dave Draggoo