fallingleaf

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Hi folks.

This thread is to document this plane which I will also be powering with a new Saito 1.80 (my first 4 stroke). I took a chance on this ARF so interested to see what its like when it arrives. There isn't much discussion out there on what appears to be this new ARF manufacturer out of China. I got it cheap so we shall see....consider this a review thread if you will! This is also my first ARF.

Here are some pics, more to come when she arrives.

DSTIEBS

It looks nice. They have 30% off at the moment.

trooper381

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careful cutting the cowl you or i cannot find another one

fallingleaf

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Okay so the MONSTER box arrived today, dam where to put that thing!

Upon opening the box I was glad to find what appears to be a sharp looking model with all laser cut parts, nice trim scheme and what appears to be some fine workmanship comprable to other ARF manufacturers out there. This is my first ARF but I am impressed and feel better stretching to buy it even though it may sit around in the box for a while. The wing joiner is aluminium and I think it is in areas like this where the cost of the kit becoms clear, as others would use carbon fiber. Also, the landing gear feels quite heavy being thick aluminium.

Other than those observations the hardware packege looks good with a large tank that should help with the Saito 1.80. The engine box appears to be longer than other Yak's I have seen, and I am crossing fingers that the Saito 180 won't project out infrint of the end of the cowl too much. If so I imagine I will need to take the firewall back and inch or so which might be alot of work. I will have a rough fit later to see! Plastic black 3" spinner is supplied but I will go aluminium with the Saito thank you! Wheels are of the light weight soft variety which I will also use. I want to use vibration-dampening engine mounts so that will be another aftermarket product. All the control horns appear to be a similar design to the Dubro heavy duty style so that is a plus.

The cowl is nice and feels light. Fiberglass tubes recieve the wing joiners. All servo mounts look to be nice and strong, and the woodwork is great. Airfoiled and removeable stab too. To be honest i think this is just a great product on first observation, however I will reserve final judgement till flying! There are afew areas I plan to beef up for my own peice of mind, such as the firewall (lil fiberglass here and there) given my choice of the Saito 1.80.

Enjoy the pics!

fallingleaf

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more

trooper381

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i put a 43 cc gas engine in mine and had to put inch spacers instead of the 2 inch spacers, i am trying to get the nose weight down a bit other then that i am happy with the plane so far, but i have not flown it yet

fallingleaf

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What do you mean by spacers Trooper? I just went and had another look, and seems like the 180 propo shaft will stick out the front a little more than would look normal (about 3/4 of an inch). i wonder if that is worth the effort of modifying that nice engine box

trooper381

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if you use a gas engine it will stick out to far so use a smaller spacer

trooper381

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well the instructions on how to build it are ok, dont mess up on the cowling and i used a gas engine so depends on if you can move the cowl off the cockpit you should be fine... but what do i know i just started building not to long ago so i am still learning

Brainiax

Nice looking plane. Here's a link to their site: [link=http://www.flyboymodels.com/servlet/StoreFront?cart_id=5744122]Flyboymodels[/link]
What did they bang you for shipping?

fallingleaf

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I bought it from a local distributor so can't tell you about the shipping sorry, but the kit was around $180 in US currency ($375 New Zealand Dollars). On their website the price is $259 US so whatever the case I think I got a deal!

F4U Corsair

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Looks like a nicely manufacturerd ARF, will be interested in seeing your opinions as you progress. I've been eyeballing the Flyboy DR1 for a while now, but have never seen a review or heard anything about it.

trooper381

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i am gonna fly my yak 54 same plane this weekend with a 43cc gas motor we'll see how she handles [:-]

fallingleaf

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Great let us know how she flies. What servos do people think work well on this? I don't wanna blow the bank on digitals so was thinking either Hitec 645MG's or Futaba s3305's. Both are comprable, with the futabas just a little less torque (10oz approx) but slightly cheaper ($1) on Tower. i could go for a 120 JR flight pack but I don't think the 6 channell reciever is enough to use with my Futaba 8uap Super.

I put the wings on just to get a feel for the size of a 69" wingspan. Dam its bigger than I am used to!

fallingleaf

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Trooper have you flown her yet?

trooper381

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nope need a cowl for my plane before i can fly if you find one 7 inches diameter and 11 inches tall let me know by emailing me thanks

fallingleaf

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is it me or does the cowl/nose on this ARF look a little long for a yak compared to other manufacutures? This is my main aesthetic gripe lol

rholmwall

I bought on from Fadi in Anaheim CA. Paid $149. plus 33 shipping. Was suspicious, too cheap... WRONG. Powered with OS 120 she flew like a dream. Could put a 160 in her and she would do all you wanted. Lost battery and crashed. Wings and elevators ok. need new Fuse, Wrote them 4 times on the web. No response in the last 4 weeks. Evidently they don't want to sell parts. Will buy a new one if get the 30% discount. Seems shipping at $75 is a little steep, but the plane is worth the price. Very well built. Needed no weight to balance with the 120. Weighed 10.1 lbs ready to fly. Not a 3d however does all basic aerobatic maneuvers with little effort. I give it a B++ overall.

fallingleaf

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I sold mine as I realised I wasn't going to get around to building it for at least a year + no space to store it.

Impressive product though for the price.

SunShyne

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30% off on sale, not bad at all. I love the scheme, shame I have another Fliton in the box that im starting soon

3penguins

Hey guys, I know this thread is old but did anyone actually fly this plane? I'm thinking of putting a 26cc gasser in, my flying style is bordering on 3d. Basically I want a reasonable quality plane that can handle whatever I throw at it. Also I have the Katana 125 and even though I don't throw any speed it's way, I'm very conscious of the flapping problems other people have had so want to stay away from a plane that will self destruct in the air.

Has anyone got any real good experiences to share about this plane? What was all up build weight? Any modifications from stock? Tried a 26cc gasser? Hovering etc etc? Any comments will be welcomed

Thanks