Like many beginners, I saw the guys at the field doing 3D, and thought 'That looks kinda fun'. Granted, I'm not a HUGE fan of 3D flying (call me old fashioned, but airplanes should FLY, not be yanked around the sky *heh*), but I DO recognize that doing it well takes a tremendous amount of skill, and it looks like quite a bit of fun for those times you're just looking for an excuse to toss a plane around and yank sticks to the corners.

Problems:

1) I wasn't about to spend $500+ on a big 3d plane. Neither my budget or skill level justify this.

2) Sure, a foamy would work, but...bluntly...I want planes to look like...well..planes. This is not a criticism of foamy aircraft or their pilots...simple personal preference.

3) I recognize that, while I feel comfortable flying the Super Stick and ElectroStreak through about any move they'll do, I don't fly aerobatics and such WELL....passable, probably, but not well, certainly. As a result, I probably need something that, at least in comparison to 3D aircraft, is 'forgiving'.

Enter the Mini-Funtana.

Inexpensive at approx $80 US, and even adding servos, motor, etc it can me made completely ready to fly for < $250. Built, they look dead on like their bigger parents, and are quite attractive little planes in their own right.

It's RIDICULOUSLY easy and quick to throw together. IMO, the best ARF I've encountered yet. HOW quick? I arrived at my field yesterday with a new mini-funtana in the box at 6:30 pm. By 8 pm, I had flown it twice (including a battery charge between the 2 flights). Granted, this was my second one (read below for more details), but the first one went together in my shop in about 3 hours.

As for flying her...wow. Weighing in at 24 oz with battery, and hauled around by a Park 400 brushless (the reccomended motor), it is in the 2:1 thrust to weight range, and will quite simply do anything and everything the larger Funtanas will do. Hovers, knife edges, harriers, you name it. In normal flight, it's stable, reliable, and quick.

The beauty, however, is that with the wings in the rearward position (there are two wing moutn locations) the plane will slow to an absolute crawl, and fly stable as a rock. Landings are MUCH easier than I've heard landing the big ones is. Honestly, this aircraft is far and away the EASIEST of my 4 to land...and remember, one of those 4 is a telemaster.

Finally, because it just has to be said...it's simply a BLAST to fly.

Oh...and one last thing...it's also really cute.

Just 2 cautions:

1) Like any plane designed to do what it does, with those big control surfaces anywhere close to their suggested rates, the slightest hint of moving a stick WILL move the aircraft...quickly. This is by no means a trainer (though, to be honest, it could probably be slowed down enough on the controls to fly nearly as well as some). It will go where you point it, and it will go there QUICKLY. I wouldn't call it 'twitchy', but it's danged responsive.

2) The fuse sides are VERY thin and flexible. This, combined with a very short anti-rotation pin at the TE of the wings, CAN, under certain flight conditions, allow the anti-rotation pin to come out of its hole in the fuse. Trust me...this is BAD, and explains why I was building my second one. A simple balsa brace inserted between the fuse sides above the holes for the AR pins will resolve this issue.

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All in all, while I certainly don't reccomend this plane as a 1st or 2nd plane, it CERTAINLY makes a fine introduction to 3D for the beginner pilot who's gained confidence with aerobatic flight.

I also took the plunge into electrics. this is what I bought:

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LNKFB3&P=G

A guy at our club has one and let me fly it with the recommended setup and [X(] I'll have it flying tomorrow

I also bought this:

http://ohiomodelplanes.com/3dbuddy/

I bought the Edge 540 bundle and it's on it's way Yahoo

The next one will be the mini-funtana. I agree with everything you said in regards to the mini

I taught a guy to fly on that mini Funtana.

Amazing little plane.

I have been wanting to get into electrics so i can fly at the house.. But never did get the ime and money. Thanks for that review..

Just for the record, this is NOT a park flyer by any stretch of the immagination, imo. Despite the fact that it's electric, it needs as much space to fly as any 40 size glow plane. It's small, but it's fast and powerful, so it could EASILY get out of hand in a small area.

Granted, a talented and experienced 3D pilot could certainly keep it close, but then again, they can do that with 90 sized glows too.

Along with 120 and up planes also. There's nothin' like watching a 40% locked it into a hover 3 foot away [&:]. I'm decent at 3D but not that decent or crazy.

*heh*

I hear ya bill. I all but trashed the Funtana yesterday...thankfully, I was 2.00001 mistakes high, because boy I sure made 2. (Note to self...when trying to knife edge, it's OPPOSITE rudder, dummy.)

I'm certainly not even close to a 'decent' 3D pilot....but that is, after all, why I bought this plane. I wanted something I could try to learn a little 3D on without spending stupid money...and it's certainly done exactly that. I'm now able to do something vaguely resembling a harrier (not a very good one or long one, but we're getting there), and can "hover" it for 4-5 seconds. So hey, it's already doing its job.

All in all, after having flown it 5-6 times already, it's EXACTLY what I was looking for...an inexpensive and capable way to have a little silly fun.