Vectorflight: Take a look!
 

I have been researching the Vectorflight Arf series online and concrete information is hard to come by. There are a good many posts out there, but they seem vague. I have already ordered the 66" Edge 540, in route. What I cannot seem to find is a difinitive answer one way or the other. With a deal like the one running now...I can't see why it's not a topic of great discussion and interest on the boards. I have heard rave reviews on the customer support, which I have to say myself is impressive. It's the product reviews I am seeking. Anyone running any of thier available planes, chime in. I'll take all the information you can gimme, and a side of fries.:D

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

I bought the sukoi and was very impressed, I installed a saito 100 and it performs very good, but I can tell you is that it does not glide very well, the plane went in pretty hard after a dead stick but damage was to a minimun.

These planes are pretty strong, I fixed what I had to and I'm up and flying again. The instructions don't leave allot to be desired for. But all in all its a great deal, customer support is great, great price.

I would buy another one if I lost my present plane. I believe the plane is a little on the heavy side.


but I'm happy

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

I bought a Extra 66". I love the plane. Running a Super Tigre 90 and it has good enough power. These are not 3D planes. They weight to much for that. But If the Edge is like the Extra.........They are great aerobatic planes. Read through the posts, there you will find almost everyone who buys one is happy with it's performance.

Look at the posts and check the modifications. I added tail wires to mine and built up a wood bellypan, other than that it is all stock. Reaching 50 or so flights on it and the only problem I've run into is soft ply on the tab that holds the front of the wing. I added more support and that has fixed that problem. Of course with the plug in wings you won't have that problem.

I bet I've sent 75 e-mail to them just during pre purchase and assembly, each and every one has been answered and they have gone well beyond the norm, to make sure I'm happy.

My Extra has become my favorite plane lately. So much as soon as the wife lets me I'm gonna try out the Sukhoi!!!:D

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

Extra 300's,540's,Staudachers are all VERY unforgiving as far as gliding characteristics,no matter what company builds them,it's the nature of the beast.
Try getting any one of them slow or turning one from the downwind into the upwind deadstick..it will corksrew right into the ground.
I love flying these planes though,it's a challenge,but deadsticks can spell disaster![:o]

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

I am thinking of a Saito 120 up front. According to VF it should be an awesome combo. I have been checking out the mod suggestions. Good stuff. Can't wait to get my hands on it, any day now according to VF C/S. Most people get the Extra or Sukhoi, I have read very few posts on the Edge. I understand these are advanced aerobatics aircraft and thier flight characteristics can be hairy at times, to say the least. I have flown such planes as the Extra 300, Giles 202, and Cap 232. I think the Edge will just be another fun flying plane. It will be fun to put it thru the wringer. I have planned to do a full write up on the build, w/pics. As this is my "winter project" I should have plenty of time to get it right. If anyone has the Edge and can give me some particulars to look out for, I would greatly appreciate it. :D

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

VectorFlight is a great company with an even better product. I own the Extra 66". The plane went togeather great and flies well past any of my expectations. The planes are not 3d, but make great aerobatic planes. They fly like they are on rails! I ran only a tower .75 for inital flights, and it was plenty for the average joe. Starting the install of a Saito 1.50 this weekend! They email you right back with answers to your questions every time. They bend over backwards when you have a problem and need parts, and they are always wanting you to respond with what you think wether it is good or bad. Your input really matters to them (which you can't say about most other company's). I think you will love your edge and probally end up doing more business with them in the future. Hell you will probally join the rest of us in praising the company for such a fine product for such a low price! Enjoy it!

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

I own the 58" Extra and had a Saito 91 on it. Excellent combo and the plane was very hardy. It is now retired on my wall after 2 seasons and I look forward to finding an excuse to get the 66" version :D

Great plane, excellent service, awesome price for product. Very hard to beat!


matt

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

Another VectorFlight fan here! Definitely worth it! Loved my Extra 58 before retiring it after several years of great flying. Now it’s the Edge and Extra 66, both with 91FXs. Easily two of the best flying airplanes I have owned in this class. Excellent for IMAC or unlimited aerobatics, penetrate head and cross wind nicely and track true and precise. Hardware is USA made standard, no cheesy stuff here, and in terms of overall quality what you would expect from much pricier stuff. The instructions are not for beginners but assembly is easy and they went together well without any hitch. Been thinking for a long time about installing my Surpass 1.20 on one of these birds, but just having too much fun with the 91s.

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

I had the 66" extra and this was the best flying plane I ever had. I had a TT 91 4 stroke in it and it was a perfect combo. I had more than 200 flights on this plane when I lost it due to a receiver battery failure. I will be getting another one someday when I finish the projects piled up on my bench.

Rick

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

I have the Extra 66" with a TT .91 four-stroke/14x6 MAS K-series. For me a
perfect combo. Great power and will do everything I ask of it.
They are really strong and easy to repair ( Don't ask me why I know this)
I also have the 60" Sukhoi with a .61 Evolution NT, 12x6 APC
Super strong runner.
The models are the best value I have found in an ARF and the company
is the best. Answer e-mails, send spares even when it wasn't there fault
great prices with the Canadian exchange rate.
My next plane will be a Vector Flight Edge

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

Ok OK! :D I'm convinced!:) Got my Saito 120 from the LHS today and if I'm not careful I'll rust it from all the drool. My Edge is due by Monday and I can't wait to get started. VF is awesome to deal with, and has been more than helpful in my many inquiries thus far...and I haven't even received my plane yet! What puzzles me is, why hasn't everyone cashed in on this unbelievable deal? If the plane turns out to be what it is touted to be, I am going to start saving for another kit![8D]

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

I think they will eventually get where it is somthing a little more common place on here. With the quality and rave reviews on here people are foolish not to spend $150.00 dollars and try it out. These arf's kill most any other arf in quality and flight performance that I have come across in this category. I think you will be in love with that plane and engine combo! ENJOY IT!

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

I definitely agree with all the positive comments here.

I have the Edge 540 66 inch with a YS 110, the Extra 58 inch with a Saito 100 and have just got the Sukhoi.

You won't have any problems with the Edge if you dead stick as it floats on landing! I reckon the wing is very efficient as its a solid surface, so that might explain the slow speed performance.

One comment on the flying... It's very pitch sensitive, so don't go larger than the recommended elevator travel.

You will definitely love this one!

Enjoy!

-David C.

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

I have read a lot of posts praising VarctorFlight's customer service.

But I have contacted them twice about a construction question and haven't heard anything back fron them. It has been two weeks. I filled out a form I got to through clicking on the "Contact Us" link on the VectorFlight website. Maybe I'm doing something wrong.

Has anyone else had this problem? Does anyone have an email address for VectorFlight that might work?

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

Try [email protected] I use this rather than going through the contact form.

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

I added tail wires, and a little balsa on top of the elevator to give the plastic somthing to hold to. You should add a small ply plate to the tailwheel attachment point.
On my first flight I was overanxious, My wife held the plane during starting and pushed down on the tailwheel, the screws started coming out. I figured I could fly without it. HA! it was windy, the plane went full speed into the warning strip ( taller grass on the side of the runway) and ripped the LG plate in half.
I epoxied it on at home and the plane flew fine for 6 flights and the plate broke again on a deadstick.
I replaced the plate with some contest grade aircraft ply and never had another problem.
The problems were of my own making, yeah better ply would be nice in the LG area but under normal use its fine.
I do reccomend the plane, I still have a 66" edge, it makes me look smoother than I am.
When this one goes in for good I will get another ( on sale).

Now if you want to talk about a poorly engineered, POS LG setup... think WACO. ( not kange's)

OK here is a negative. The wheelpants s!ck. Toss em!. I fly off grass now so I dont care. If you want nice wheel pants look at sig kits.

Just an afterthought, I used a tailwheel from a rascal. The stock tailwheel my not need reinforcment.

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

I have the 58 and 66 inch Extra's... About to order another 66 inch for backup... These planes are well priced, look great and fly great...
I have a Mag .91 in the 58" and a Saito 100 in the 66" .. Great combo's. I have never had trouble contacting them.. Seems like no matter
what time of day or night I email them I have a reply within a few hours.. They have bent over backwards to help with any questions/problems I might encounter... Can't say enough good about this company..

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

Anyone think the Saito 120 is going to be too much motor for the 66" Edge? I did some break-in on the bench this weekend and I am impressed. My first Saito has me wanting another already. I just hope i dont have to butcher the cowl to make it fit. Any pictures of installs with Saito's in the 66" versions would be greatly appreciated.[8D]

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

Thank you Calflyer. [email protected] worked and customer service got right back to me with detailed help.

There's either a problem with the contact form on the web page or (ahem) with me... let's just leave it at that shall we?!!!

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

I rec'd my Edge 540 today and my first impression is... well....I'm impressed! :D The quaility of the kit is fantastic, sans instructions. I haven't had much time to go into a detailed inspection, but the lack of pages for instructions leads me to think this is not one of the simpler ARF's. I did take a good look at the fuse and tail assembly. I liked the solid tail surfaces and the setup in the fuse for the radio gear. :D

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

I have one question... is the one piece or 2 pieces with a tube to plug into like on the larger scale planes?

Thanks, Hosam

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

The Edge 540 uses a 2 piece wing with joiners on both sided that slide thru channels in the fuse sides and join in the middle with metal bolts and wing nuts. I just finished my wing assembly this morning. It was super easy although I made a stupid error and reversed the right side wing joiners from front to back. It hasn't made a difference, no incidence or dihedral. Next step is the engine mounting procedure which will take some doing on my part. Since I have chosen a motor that does not fit the supplied mount (Saito 120S), I will have to knock out the pre-installed blind nuts and redrill for new positions. Also I will need to figure out which way the engine will be mounted (sideways or inverted). Most likely I will go inverted with a glow driver of some sort to get the proper angle of the shaft in relation to the cowl opening. Any thoughts or suggestions on this? Anyone? :D

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

I can get my Surpass 1.20 to fit in the supplied mount by flexing out the beams 1/16 inch each side. The engine has to be pushed into the beams and its tight but it fits. The Saito might be wider but give it a try, it might work! If not, Dave Brown Products makes the next up size , the 120FS mount which has almost identical firewall monting holes as the suppied 90 mount in the kit. If you go horizontal, you could use the same holes in the firewall.
I agree the assembly is super easy!

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

Thanks for the tip Calflyer!:D I went home at lunch and test fit the Saito 120 in the supplied 90 mount and it fits snug as a bug in a rug.:) Now if I can just figure out the bag of supplied screws and such. :eek: I am hesitant to moutn the engine until I get a few more runs on the bench with it, just to get the break in and tuning set. I have only put a tank and a half thru it so far (10oz). The first tank was entirely below 4000rpm per manual instructions. The second was a little higher with short bursts to full throttle just to hear it roar:D.

In the midst of writing this post, I recieved a reply from Vectorflight Support on the motor moutn question. Super fast! Their answer included several pictures of customer installations of 4 stroke engines, and one of a 91FX, "just in case". the next paragraph is a snippet from the reply...

"People have mounted 4 stroke engines both sideways and inverted. Inverted mounting looks very nice, but it requires rotating the engine mount, and obviously this will mean drilling new holes, and plugging the old ones. Sideways mounting is straightforward, if you don't mind the engine protruding out of the cowl a bit. We are not sure if you will be able to fit the Saito 120 in the provided mount, but the beams on these carbon mounts can be trimmed very carefully using a sharp knife, as long as you do not remove too much material and weaken them. Also, the mount is somewhat flexible and can be pried open just a little bit. The combination of these two things might allow you to use the Saito 120, but if not, we would recommend going to a bigger mount. Dave Brown does make a 120 size mount.

Please use struts on the tail plane for added security. Also please do not solely rely on the fin lower extension to assume the fin is vertical. You may have to trim the extension from either side to make it accurately vertical."

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

Primodus...Can you post some of the inverted installation pictures that VF sent you?

Greg

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

Not much help in detail but they show the cosmetic value plretty well.[8D]

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

Whats the final weight of the plane?


thanks

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

I haven't gotten that far yet, but they claim it to be 8-9lbs. They also claim the Saito 120S will hover it. I am going for a smooth IMAC type flyer instead of a 3D machine so weight isn't my top priority. Hopefully it won't come out like a lead balloon. Only additions I need to make are some extra beef around the firewall and tail struts for added security. That shouldn't add alot of weight if I do it right.:eek:

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

Thank you

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

Well, I finally got the engine mounted and the fuel system plumbed. I am using a Hangar 9 fueler that is currently hanging loose (cowl is unmounted as of yet). The wing situation I mentioned earlier is now very much under control. I found the dowel that goes through the trailing end of the wing roots and passes through the fuse between them. This little device is a simple way of clearing up any incidence play you may have. "Solid" is the word that comes to mind here.

I chose to mount the Saito 120 inverted and only had to re-drill 2 of the mount holes to make it work. It isn't dead on 180 degrees straight down, but it is close enough. Also the hole for the throttle pushrod was way off, sealed it and re-drilled it. Next, I checked the thrust angles and added some shims under mount to square it up with a hint of right. Also, a piece of balsa to hold the tank in place would be a nice touch, but I aint complaining! :) Landing gear are mounted, minus wheels.

Next phase will be the tail assembly. I am dreading this a little due to the need for struts on the tail surfaces. I have never tried to make anything like them so I am hoping I get it right.. I have several ideas and suggestions on hand already (more are always welcome), and I hope to gain more insight from the flyers at the Fun Fly this weekend. I am amazed at how easy and fast this ARF is going together. Vectorflight has really done thier homework on thier products.:D

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

I have all three VF models... the 66" Extra, Edge, and Sukhoi.... The Edge is the best flying VF model with a 91 saito... it's not a powerhouse, but it's very smooth, and balance point is perfect... I don't like the belly pans, but after some practice, it's not much of a hassle.... The Sukhoi is out of service, all my fault , not the models fault... It was the Lomcevak king.... that's why it went crash!!! TO LOW, and snap her in... Hard! I still have the other two, with Saito 91's one them.... the Extra looks good in the air, but I think the horizontal stab incedence is off (I rushed the build, so it's likely I botched the alignment).... I fly them as my warmup planes, and practice the IMAC sportsman sequence with them.... As for the VF company, best shipping in the biz, and excellent customer service..

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

I got a chance to dry fit the tail assembly at lunch today. Looks square. In the process of hunting components to make tail struts and extra stock for the fillets. I have chosen hinge points for all the surfaces, rather than use the supplies CA hinges (at the advice of Minn:D). Should handle the 120 a bit easier.

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

I believe you have to use the ca hinges for the ailerons since the top of the wing is smooth...the hinge point has to be almost right on the uppermost point where the aileron and the wing meet. Tailfeathers could be hinged differently, I suppose...

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

I used hinge point for the aeilerons as well.
I made a jig that would sit on the top of the wing and
guide the angle the drill down into the wing rather than parallel to the chord.
The finished hinge is at about 20 degree when the
surfaces are neutral. Works great.

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

Primodus,

You have flown Extra and Giles, can you tell me the difference in flying charcteristics. Pros and cons, especially of giles.

IK

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

I am no expert on either plane, but the Giles is a bit more pitch sensitive than the Extra. Both perform well at IMAC type sport flying.

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

After reading this thread and checking out their website, I am seriously considering the 66" Extra. Do you guys think that a ST 90 would be enough power? I know there are better motors out there, but I need to get the most motor for my $$$. What other motors would you guys recommend that are in the same size/price range as the ST 90? TIA for the help.

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

ST90 is probably one of the strongest motor in its class, but somehow I could not get it to run very reliably. Could be just a problem with my particular one. But it should be excellent as far as power is concerned.

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

Calflyer its not you its your motor, the ST90 are unreliable (at least mine were). I had 2 early this season and they would fly for only 2 minutes then I would have a dead stick. Me and a couble guys tried every thing from low end needle, high end needle, plugs, fuel from 0% to 15% with absolutly no luck. GOt me a ST75 and and have about 30 10 minute flights with no problem...

RE: Vectorflight: To good to be true?
 

Bumstead/Primo,

I am giving serious thought about getting Extra & Edge from VF. I want to know how good the supplied CA hinges are or it is preferred to use hinge point on these planes?

Free